Half Of Our Whole
by Eman1314
Summary: Darkness cannot exist without the light, and light without the dark. Together they create a balance. Together they make us whole. Disclaimer: I don't own the PPG or RRB and all credit goes to their creators. However, I do own the story line so no stealing. For some reason the first chapter isn't loading, so until i fix that just move onto the next one. Sorry
1. 1 I'm Sorry

The girls backed up into each other, their chests lifting and falling with strained breaths. Villains surrounded them from every angle, leering and snarling at them like animals. Directly in front of Blossom, slightly higher than the other villains, was Him. His black aura was pulsing with power and a sinister cruel smirk rested across his red devilish face. Below him Brick, Butch, and Boomer floated, farther back, than the other villains. They stared at the girls with sad eyes. They had never wanted this.  
"I-I can't fight much longer," Bubbles puffed, grabbing her bleeding side. Boomer's heart tightened at the sight of her in pain and he was forced to hold in the tears. None of them had expected to fall in love with the girls, not on the battle field or at school, but nothing could stop the furious beating of their hearts when they saw each other.  
"We have to...stay strong," Buttercup jeered out through clamped teeth. Butch took an involuntary step forward but a warning look from Ace caused him to return next to Brick. He tried to meet Buttercup's eyes, to tell her how sorry he was, but the girl would not look his way. He broke her heart, she didn't need him.  
"Give up StinkyStuff's! You are defeated! Mojo!" Mojo cheered, swishing his velvet cloak proudly. The other villains laughed at the girls and flew forward slightly, causing them to shrink in.  
"We will never give up!" Bubbles shouted bravely. Blossom grabbed her yo-yo and threw it at the Gang Green Gang. Ace side stepped it and grabbed the wire, tugging it. Blossom yelped in surprise and flew forward slightly. She released the wire and Ace smirked at her, dropping it.  
"This is the end," Him said in a low menacing voice. "You don't come back from this."  
"We'll see about that!" Buttercup yelled, twirling her hammer in the air over her head and slamming it down. A light green light burst from the head and shook through the air. Buttercup gasped in disbelief as it passed through the villains with little to no affect. She growled and lifted up her hammer for a second shot, but Blossom reached and grabbed the shaft, stopping her short. Bubbles, Buttercup, and all the villains looked at Blossom as she slowly pushed the hammer back to Buttercup's side.  
"Don't," she whispered hoarsely, blinking away blood from her eyes. She ran her wrist over her forehead, wiping away the partially visible blood from under her bangs. "We can't win."  
"What?" Bubbles and Buttercup gasped in unison, staring at Blossom in disbelief. The pink puff looked down and hung her head, her white aura dimming into nothing. Buttercup and Blossom looked at her with sad, confused eyes before their aura's disappeared as well.  
"Now that's a good Power Twerp," Ivy giggled, smiling evilly at the girls. Blossom picked her head up and glared at her angrily. The other villains laughed at them but the boys stood motionless. Buttercup and Bubbles glared at the villains while Blossom's eyes swept over towards the boys. Her pink eyes locked into Brick's and he was instantly sucked into a world of incredible hurt, pain and mistrust. Brick's heart stopped and he turned away, unable to look back into them.  
"Your time is over, girls. Say goodbye!" Him boomed, smiling largely. He lifted one large, looming claw up into the air as an even darker light surrounded it. The girl's tightened even more and suddenly Blossom's scared face turned taunt. She put on a brave face and reached her hands back, looping them through her sisters. She turned back and looked Him straight in the eyes, no fear visible.  
"Goodbye," she said quietly, still loud enough for Brick to hear. Him laughed and pushed his hand forward, the energy forming and blasting forward towards the girls.  
The boys didn't know how they ended up in front of the girls, they didn't know how they were quick enough, but they did know why they were doing it. The beam of light blasted forward as fear slowly formed on Him's face. It blasted right towards the boys and entered them, causing their eyes to widen and their aura's to get larger. The girls stared in horror, releasing small gasps of surprise as the beam absorbed into the boys before them, causing them to bend forward.  
Blossom shook her head, recovering her senses and grabbed Brick by his shoulders, straightening him. He gasped and looked up at her, his crimson eyes reflecting pain. "No, no! Brick!" she cried, gripping him tightly. She closed her eyes, preparing to give him the rest of her energy but she stopped when something blocked her. She opened her eyes and stared at Brick in disbelief.  
"I'm sorry, Blossom," he said quietly, flinching.  
"No, don't be! Brick, let me heal you! Let me, let me!" Blossom gasped, her mind trying to catch up with her body, unable too. Brick smiled, more winced, and grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his heart.  
"I'm sorry..." he said finally. His hand moved to his head, grabbing his cap and pushing it into her hands. She gripped the soft fabric and watched in despair as the lights went out of his eyes. Blossom's breath stopped as she stared down at him. Her heart beat slowly as she put her hand to his cheek, feeling as his warmth slowly ebbed away. Tears glided down her cheeks and everything sped up as she dug her face into his chest. She couldn't hear a heart beat, or any signal for that matter. Brick was dead, he was really dead.  
"No!" Blossom sobbed, digging her head deeper, looking for something, anything! But there was nothing. She cried in painful sorrow as the rest of his warmth disappeared with his soul.  
The villains watched in stunned silence as the girls shed their tears, as the boys died in their arms. Ace blinked quickly, trying to block out emotion and turned away. The rest of the GGG watched him slowly and then followed, floating after him.  
"Where are you going?" Him screamed, but his voice was cracking and painful.  
"We're done here, find someone else to do your dirty work," Ace said without turning around. The other GGG hummed in soft agreement and after another second they zoomed off.  
Him watched after them, his throat tightening with his chest. He turned around and watched as the Ameba Boys and Princess bowed their heads and flew off. Fuzzy Lumpkins stared sadly at them before turning away and disappearing into the night, the sad tune of his banjo lingering after him.  
"My boys..." Mojo whispered, floating forward slightly. Blossom lifted her head from Brick's chest and turned to the monkey. Mojo was slightly surprised to see the tears going down her face and the deep sadness in her eyes. He was pained that he didn't notice it before.  
"Go..." Him whispered, shrinking back to his normal size. The girls and Mojo turned to him in surprise, trying to understand his words in the sad blur. "I said go! Leave and never come back!" Him yelled, pointing one claw at Blossom. Blossom stared back at him and the turned to Mojo. She limply handed over Brick's unmoving body and looked hard at the Monkey.  
"Please take care of him," she whispered, touching his chest. Mojo looked down and noticed that she had placed her hand over his heart.  
Mojo nodded his head, looking back into her eyes. She blinked away unshed tears and nodded. She gently leaned forward and kissed Brick's cheek, lingering there for a second. She pulled away and turned to her sisters who had handed over Butch and Boomer's limp bodies to Him. Her lips quivered sadly as she nodded her head and flew off. Her sisters jetted after her as Him and Mojo stared down at their lost son's.  
As they flew only two things were on Blossom's mind. The light leaving Brick's beautiful red eyes, and the words he kept repeating.  
"I'm sorry..."  
She sniffed in deeply and hugged his cap close to her chest. Even from that far away she cloud smell his cinnamon scent that was laced into the red and black fabric. She closed her eyes as the prick of tears returned and hugged it tighter. It was the last thing she had of him, the last thing he gave her.  
She would _never_ lose it.


	2. 2 The Boy Lacking Skills

Kaoru yawned widely, emitting a low sound. Her eyes fluttered open and she swallowed down the bile that stayed in her mouth while she slept. She sat up slowly, looking to her right. Momoko was sound asleep, sprawled on her back. Kaoru watched as a slightly visible plume of frost escaped her sisters pink lips with a sad frown. Momoko always emitted frost when she slept, mostly because she couldn't control her emotions while in deep slumber. Kaoru turned away from her older sister and looked at the bundle to her left. She knew somewhere deep in the protective mound of blankets Miyako was soundly sleeping. Kaoru sighed and pulled off her blankets, instantly shivering. It was always cold in their room thanks to Momoko, making returning to sleep impossible. Once you were up, you were up.  
Kaoru stumbled to her feet and grabbed a green sweater from the bottom of her bed. She slipped on the thick protective material and grabbed her iPhone from the pocket. The small digital screen displayed a miniature picture of her and her sisters smiling years ago, with Professor smiling behind them. Kaoru quickly moved her eyes away from the heart breaking picture and glanced at the displayed time. 6:15. Kaoru sighed and turned the phone off, glancing back at her sisters. There was no need to wake them, and school didn't start until another hour and a half. She yawned again, using the sleeve of her sweater to block out any sound, and walked out of their small room.  
The girls had been in St. Marie's Orphanage for four years now. At first Kaoru was annoyed by all the religious junk they tried to teach her, but after almost an entire year of fighting it she gave up and allowed Sister Anna to teach her. Ever since that day Kaoru has had a new respect for God and the spirits. And although the Orphanage was as far from Townsville as it could be, to her it was a second home. No one at the Orphanage knew about the girl's past but the sisters. Kaoru liked that the only thing she had to do to hide her identify was dye her hair blonde. No more lying and sneaking off. She had a normal life.  
Kaoru walked down the brown carpeted halls towards the cafeteria. It was a little early for breakfast, but the sisters always let them in early.  
Kaoru went to the big brown double doors and pushed on them. Usually she had to find a sister to unlock the door at the early hours of the morning, but on some lucky days it was already opened. Today was one of those lucky days. Kaoru pushed the doors open a little wider and walked into the small room. As her presence was made known the lights flicked on, casting an eery but usable glow throughout the room. Kaoru looked around, expecting to see a sister eating or Lucy-the cook-starting up the grill. She was appalled to see no one at all. Kaoru frowned curiously and glanced around. The morning meal was already written on the small black board pressed up against the plain white walls and all the tables looked freshly cleaned. Kaoru lifted her nose up and sniffed the air. There was a slight burning smell in the air. Kaoru let out a distressed breath and started across the cold stone floor. She was starting to regret not putting on any shoes or longer pants when a loud, distinct sound of crashing pots filled the air. She heard a deep voice breath out a loose curse before everything went silent again.  
Kaoru muddled her blonde eyebrows together and pushed open the door that led to the kitchen. She peeked her head in, her hair swinging down her shoulder, and saw the back of some boy by the grill. He was bending down, picking up fallen pots and murmuring quiet words to himself. Kaoru frowned even deeper when he stood up, exposing his odd height. He was a teen, probably around her age, which would be normal emif/em there were any teenagers besides her sisters and her. Kaoru took in a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen, gently closing the door behind her. It made a soft pop, causing the boy to jump and look at her. Kaoru folded her arms and looked at the boy, examining him. Her earlier observation was right, he was a teen. He had dusty blonde hair that was spiked with gel and deep forest green eyes that made her want to shiver. A once white apron was draped over his chest, blocking out the intense green from his shirt.  
"Who're you?" The boy asked, pointing a spatula at Kaoru. Kaoru smirked slightly as a batter of some sort dripped off the flat tool and onto the white floor. The boy's eyes slid down to where the drop landed and he groaned, placing his spatula in a bucket of batter and grabbing a towel. Kaoru watched curiously as he bent down and swiped off the cream colored batter.  
"The Sisters praise a clean kitchen, but what are you doing in here?" Kaoru asked curiously as the boy threw away the dirty towel. He wiped off some sweat with the back of his hand and examined Kaoru with a curious look.  
"We just got here and the door was open. I thought I could just..." he tilted his head towards the grill where there were deeply black pancakes. Kaoru lifted up her eyebrows and held in a laugh. She was pretty sure if she cut it up it would be black inside too.  
"Is this your first time touching a grill?" Kaoru said with a small laugh, shaking her head. The boy blushed slightly and sighed, leaning up against the counter.  
"Can you do better?" he asked with a slight challenging tone. Buttercup huffed out an airy breath and came forward, picking up the spatula. She gave him a side glance before looking down at the batter. It was way too thin, almost like it was still just milk.  
"You didn't add enough flour," She claimed, turning and grabbing the flour off a shelf. She pried open the tight lid and added a decent amount to the batter. She replaced the flour and mixed the batter until it was thick and creamy. "See, this is how it should be."  
"Oh, teach me more, Master!" the boy said with a thin look of fake excitement on his face. Kaoru rolled her eyes and placed a small circle of batter on the pan. She did seven more and placed the spatula down, looking at the boy. He raised a blonde eyebrow at her. "What's your name, smarty?"  
"I'm not that smart, just got skills. Which apparently you don't," Kaoru said with a small, teasing smirk. The boy rolled his eyes and Kaoru smiled. "I'm Kaoru."  
"Well Kaoru, I'm Kyo," Kyo said with a small smile. He extended his hand towards Kaoru and she took it limply, giving it two shakes. "Thanks for the help."  
"You looked like you needed it," Kaoru responded, flipping the pancakes over. Kyo shrugged lightly, but Kaoru could see how his face relaxed. "So what brought you into the kitchen anyway?"  
"My brothers and I are new here, we just came a few hours ago," Kyo explains, rubbing his hands through his hair. Kaoru raised an eyebrow as the flour on his hands mixed into his hair, making it brighter. "We haven't eaten since we left and that was, like, ten hours ago. We were hungry and the only brother who could cook was passed out on the couch. My other brother is too stupid to even get this far," Kyo said, pointing at a black pancake. Kaoru laughed lightly and pulled the finished pancakes onto a plate.  
"Well, welcome to St. Marie's Orphanage, don't let it bore you to death," Kaoru joked, cleaning up the pan and putting it away. Kyo took care of the rest of the batter and threw away all the bad pancakes.  
"I'm pretty sure it won't," Kyo assured her, smiling at her. Kaoru held in the blush and rolled her eyes, handing him the plate.  
"Yeah right," Kaoru dismissed. Kyo smiled cheekily at her and bowed his head in gratitude. Kaoru frowned, that was something they did in Japan.  
"Well Kaoru, thank you for teaching me these wonderful skills," Kyo said, raising back to his original height. "I hope to see you around."  
"I doubt it," Kaoru said with a small smirk, folding her arms. Kyo shrugged and headed for the door.  
"I don't," he said, pushing past and disappearing. Kaoru stood perfectly still until she heard the door to the cafeteria open and close. She blinked a few startled times and shook her head. She headed for the door and left the cafeteria to go wake up her sisters.


	3. Chapter 3

Momoko shifted in her sleep as she felt something poking her. As the poking sensation continued she snaked her arm up and pushed away the object. Her fingers caught on cool skin, instantly feeling bone.  
"Momoko, you need to get up," Kaoru insisted, placing her palms on Momoko's side. As soon as they connected Kaoru could feel the sharp pain of cold. She gritted her teeth and shoved Momoko. Momoko let out a high yelp as she tumbled onto the hard floor. She used her arms to catch herself while landing hard on her knees. Her mahogany hair cascaded around her face and she blew away a few stray strands. From the other bed Miyako groaned at the loud sounds and rolled deeper into her blankets. Momoko fell back onto her knees and threaded her slim fingers through her long hair, pushing it out of her face. She stood up and turned, glaring at Kaoru.  
"An alarm wouldn't have worked just as well?" Momoko questioned with a huff of cold air. She watched without moving as the little ice partials floated down onto the deep brown floors. She held in a blush and returned her glare to Kaoru, raising an eyebrow in question. Kaoru fidgeted under her sisters serious gaze and ran her hand through her long sleek blonde hair.  
"Well, I figured you would wake up pretty easily," Kaoru admired with a small smile. Momoko rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her lower back, stretching herself out. She waited until her back gave a single crack and resumed her former position.  
"Just try to be a little bit easier on Miyako," Momoko said with a sigh, placing one hand on her hip. Kaoru nodded in obedience and turned on one heel towards the slowly shifting bundle. She walked over and presumed to wake up their youngest sister. Momoko shook her head slightly, a lightly smile playing on her lips. She walked to the bottom of her bed and kneeled before a small chestnut chest. She flipped open a small latch and pulled the lid back, exposing a neat pile of finely folded clothes. All of her belongings from Townsville were in here. She grabbed a red v neck that was slightly too big and slipped into baggy and worn jeans. She was about to close the lid when she saw a glint if pink. Momoko bent down and moved some clothes away, exposing a small empty space. She frowned sadly as she saw a neatly folded pink dress with a red vest, a pair of pink shoes, and a very familiar white belt. The glint was coming from inside the belt, a pink sphere with a bold P engraved into it. Momoko chewed the inside of her cheek and reached down. She stopped just before the belt, her fingers barely glancing on it. Those items were from her life as Blossom. They had no purpose here. Momoko pulled her hand out of the trunk and replaced the clothes to cover up the sad memorial. She let out am icy breath and closed the lid.  
Momoko got up and walked over to their small dresser. It was a simple wood dresser with three drawers, one for each of them. Above the dresser a medium oval shaped mirror hung, allowing the girls a place to tidy up. Momoko opened up the first drawer and pulled out a pink hairbrush. She looked down and saw a familiar red ribbon laying loosely next to the brush. She shook her head slightly and closed the drawer, turning to the mirror. Her face was tired looking and sad, like always. Momoko sighed and brought the brush up to her head, combing out her waist length hair.  
Momoko grabbed her book bag, hanging the thin cream colored strap over her shoulder and turned to look at her sisters. Kaoru was tapping furiously on her ipod, her long nails clicking on the glass. Her slick blonde hair was curled around her shoulders and her tongue lightly stood out from her pink lips. Miyako had replaced Momoko by the mirror and was applying a light layer of make up to make her seem less tired. Her black hair was curled into a ponytail and a thin line of mascara lined her eyes, making the blue pop. She was wearing a well fitting white blouse and a thigh length black skirt.  
"I'm going to head down to Spanish now," Momoko insisted, shrugging her bag higher on her shoulder./div  
div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;" data-p-id="423b817118503a3385a0020933478d6b""You don't want to eat?" Kaoru asked uncertainly, placing her iPod into her black bag for later. Momoko shook her head, trying to ignore the clench of hunger in her stomach. She sported a weak fake smile and lightly laughed./div  
div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;" data-p-id="fc48440937a3f9b55ba4536cdff60f61""Sister Angela is always eager to get started," Momoko insisted, heading for the door. Kaoru shrugged and Miyako waved goodbye without looking away from the mirror.  
Momoko smiled lightly and exited the room, walking into the hall. She turned and headed towards the classrooms, away from the cafeteria.  
As she was walking Momoko's hunger began to increase. At first it was a dull throb, but by now it was a longing pain. Momoko gritted her teeth and leaned forward slightly. She grunted and took a deep breath, continuing forward. She passed by a room with an open door and backtracked curiously. She tilted her head slightly. The sisters always had them keep their doors closed. Momoko frowned and stepped towards the door. She was about to take another step when someone came through, making her yelp in surprise. The person that came through turned and looked at her with curious brown eyes. It was a boy, her age, with dusty brown hair that reached the base of his neck and deep brown eyes that stared deep into her.  
"Can I help you?" the boy asked curiously. His voice was low and husky, making Momoko fidget. He tilted his head slightly and stuck a hand into a deep pocket of his ripped jeans.  
"I'm so sorry, I was j-just curious. Y-you left your door open," Momoko stammered, pointing at the open door. The boy followed her eyes to the door next to him. He turned back to Momoko with a frown.  
"So?" He asked accusingly. Suddenly cold flared up in Momoko and she stood straighter, exposing her tall proud height./div  
div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;" data-p-id="77e03b174eaec4da1af555721c17af2d""The sisters always insist on keeping the doors closed. I figured you were probably new so I would tell you before you got in trouble," Momoko said back, glaring. The boy's eyes softened and his frown began to seem less serious. "But if my help isn't needed than I guess you can figure out the rules the hard way." she insisted, turning and starting to walk away. The boy raised an eyebrow and turned away, stopping in the front of his room.  
"Thanks," he said, not turning around. Momoko smiled and glanced back at him. He kept his head down as he renter end the room. Momoko turned back around and continued down the hall to Spanish.  
Momoko entered the room and saw that some of the little kids were already there, writing down sentences in Spanish and repeating it to each other. Momoko came forward and took a seat next to a mousy blonde girl with wide blue eyes. In some ways she reminded her if what Miyako used to be, when she was Bubbles./div  
div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #555555; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; white-space: pre-wrap;" data-p-id="c838ddb7d3f070f5f87082616200841c""Good morning, Momoko!" the little girl said, noticing her presence. Momoko blinked and smiled down at the little girl.  
"Hello Nancy," Momoko returned with a small smile. Nancy smiled largely, exposing crooked teeth adorned with braces. Momoko liked Nancy, she was her friend. There was no one else around her age besides her sisters and that new boy, but she doubted she'd ever be friends with him.  
"Alright class," sister Angla said, walking in. Her classic black dress was tight on her thicker form and you could just make out her red hair from under her hood. She made her way to the front of the class with a thin smile. "For the beginning of the class we will only be talking in Spanish. Okay?" she asked with a cheeky smile. Momoko smiled back while the other kids agreed in Spanish  
Do you want to practice together?" Nancy asked, turning to Momoko with curious eyes. Momoko smiled, her eyes softening and nodded. She bent down and grabbed a pink notebook from her bag while Nancy flipped to a fresh page. She scribbled something down and then turned to look at Momoko.  
"Buenos días Momoko! Cómo estás?" She asked, her eyes curious. Momoko thinned her lips and looked down at her own paper.  
"Estoy bien, Nancy. Gracias," Momoko returned, scribbling it down on her paper. Nancy nodded with a small smile on her lips.  
"¿Cómo va su problema? Está mejorando?" (How is your problem going. Is it getting better?) Nancy asked politely. Nancy was the only student Momoko trusted enough to handle the secret of her powers. Nancy knew about it all, and because of it she was an even better friend.  
Momoko leaned forward slightly so others nearby couldn't hear her. "We can't talk about it here," She whispered. Nancy nodded slowly and flipped her pencil over, erasing the last sentence. Momoko nodded to her in thanks and she lightly smiled in response.  
"Español, chicas," Sister Angela called out to them. Momoko backed up into the back of her chair and started to write down her next sentence. She was just about to finish it when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked up and saw it was Nancy who had poked her, and she was looking towards the front. Momoko followed her eyes and stopped when she saw Sister Angela and that boy from the hall. She frowned slightly and looked back at Nancy. Nancy looked at Momoko with an excited smile.  
"He's your age!" she whispered happily, raising an eyebrow.  
"He's an ass," Momoko insisted, turning back to her paper.  
"You've met him before?" Nancy asked. Momoko looked up to answer but was cut off by Sister Angela.  
"If you two insist in speaking in English then you cannot work together! Momoko come and teach Mr. Wale the basics of Spanish. Nancy you can go and join Joshua," Sister Angela said with a sigh. Nancy grumbled something and grabbed her stuff. She ducked her head and headed over towards a thin boy with bright blonde hair and jumpy hazel eyes. Momoko thinned her lips and watched as the boy from the hall came and sat in front of her, taking Nancy's seat. He looked at Momoko with a frown, probably trying to remember where he'd seen her.  
"You're that door girl, right?" He asked to clarify. Momoko frowned at his reference to her and folded her arms tightly.  
"Español," Momoko said quickly. The boy frowned and sighed, pulling out a notebook. He bent his head, scribbling some words into it and lifted his head up, looking Momoko straight in the eyes. She lifted an eyebrow and looked back at him.  
"Mi nombre es Akari," Akari said with a small smirk. Momoko frowned and scribbled something in her book.  
"Usted es el culo que no sabe cómo decir gracias? (You are the ass that doesn't know how to say thank you)"Momoko asked with a small hidden smile. Akari frowned and sighed, glancing down at his paper.  
"Sí," Akari agreed, looking up. "Lo siento, debería haber sido más agradecido (I'm sorry, I should have been more grateful.)"  
Momoko blinked quickly and licked her lips. "You're supposed to write it down," she said dryly. Akari sighed and placed the notebook on the floor, looking straight into Momoko's eyes. She shifted uncomfortably and tried to look away.  
"I'm apologizing. It was stupid of me, you were just trying to help. Thank you," he said, sporting a small smile. Momoko raised an eyebrow and nodded her head slowly. She didn't understand why he was doing this, why he was being nice to her.  
"You're welcome," Momoko said with a nod. Akari smiled and picked up his notebook, ready to restart.  
"¿Podemos empezar de nuevo? (Can we start over?)" he asked curiously, looking up at Momoko. She tilted her head slightly and gave a small nod.  
"Sì."


	4. Chapter 4

Miyako waved goodbye to Kaoru as she headed for the gardens. Kaoru had to foot English while Momoko moved into math. Miyako didn't have any classes until after lunch, while it gave her time to do things it also left her lonely. Her sisters and her were the only teenagers in the orphanage, leaving Miysko to wander the large garden by her lonesome.  
Miyako exited the front door to the orphanage and breathed in the perfumed smell of summer air. She rolled her shoulders slightly, her black curls bouncing against her back as she started to walk towards the distant greenhouse. As she walked she noticed that no one else was outside. There usually were at least a few small groups of children running around. Miyako, curious, passed by the green house towards the back of the orphanage where the park remained. Miyako remembered playing on the park with her sisters for a long time. That was before Momoko had to focus more on controlling her powers and Kaoru stopped caring. Miyako was sad that her sisters have up on what they love. Kaoru would no longer pick up a ball of any sort and Momoko barely touched her books. Miyako, though, would never leave her artwork or music. They were the only things that kept her sane.  
She frowned slightly when she saw no children playing on the yellow monkey bars or giggling as they climbed the slides the wrong way. It was, for the first time in a long time, silent.  
Miyako went up to the slide and ran her finger up it until she was too short to reach. She moved over to the monkey bars where she had to duck under to avoid getting hit in the head. She climbed up the small plastic steps and ended at the high platform that led to the slide. She leaned against a supporting bar and looked out across the courtyard. Below the park there was the basketball court, the green house in the fields, and then the orphanage just a short minute away. Miyako breathed in another plume of fresh air and sighed, resting against the support bar. If only life could always be this peaceful, always this forgiving. But life was not forgiving to her, she recalled.  
Pulling herself from the false peace she slid down the small slide, only traveling a short way before she had to scotch down the rest of the way, which didn't agree with her skirt. She dusted off the dirt from previous trips down the slide, trying to ignore the small patch of dirt now staining her white skirt, and headed back to the greenhouse. At least there she knew there would be no one else.  
Miyako pushed open the green tinted glass door and walked into a world full of plants. There were all types of flowers hanging from the ceiling and sitting in pots on tables and the floor. Miyako smiled and grabbed an empty watering can from the table, heading to the hose. She bent down, pausing breufly when her fingers touched something wet. She looked down and saw the dirt was darkened with water, recent water. Miyako frowned. She was the caretaker of the garden, as it had been her idea to build it, and the young kids weren't allowed in without supervision.  
Maybe there is a class here! That's why the playground is empty/em, she thought, standing up. She turned around and cupped her hands around her mouth so she carried an echo. "Hello? Anybody in here?" she called out. She stood still, training her ears for anything but she heard nothing. Miyako dropped her hands back to her sides and sighed. There was no class here. She turned back and looked at the wet dirt. Inside she was itching to find out who had been here, but she knew it was stupid. None of the plants were damaged so clearly their visit had been just a help. Either way she filled up the watering can and started to water some of the smaller plants in need of a second dosage.  
As she went around she discovered that she was correct. Whoever had been here had done her a favor. All the plants were watered just perfectly, even the ones she had just planted so they only looked like a pile of dirt. Miyako frowned and set down the still-full watering can. She fingered the leaf of a plant while thinking to any people who could have done it. Sure she taught her friend Logan about the plants but he was still a sixth grader and had classes all day long. He couldn't have done this for her, even if he tried. It was impossible.  
Miyako sighed and turned to head back to the front when suddenly a loud crash filled the air followed by a colorful swear. Miyako's eyes widened in alarm and she turned to look farther down the aisle. She slowly grabbed a soil rake off a bench, raising it next to her head she started to approach the sound. Slowly she crept by the flowers, pausing by the end. She took a deep, calming breath and jumped with a war cry. She stopped short when she saw a tall boy with black hair and navy blue eyes looking at her, practically nose-to-nose. She blushed and backed up, about to say something when he suddenly turned and ran. Miyako paused and ran after him.  
"Wait!" she yelled, sprinting after him. He was fast. She extended her speed and to her astonishment, so did he. She extended it more, skidding around a corner after him. With a puff of air he did as well before throwing open the door and disappearing. Miyako burst through after him, stopping when her feet hit the pavement. She bent down, panting as her eyes scanned the fields. There was no sight of him. Miyako frowned and stood up, her chest lifting with tired breaths. She cast another look around before turning and locking up the green house behind her. She glanced around to see if he'd suddenly appear but once again she only saw the field and orphanage.  
With a final sigh she dropped her keys into her pocket before heading back to the orphanage, failing to notice the boy with black hair sitting on the roof, watching her with curious navy blue eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Kaoru walked into math and took her seat in the back, kicking her feet up carelessly onto the tables. Just because she now had respect for God doesn't mean that she acted good. She tipped her chair back onto its back legs and tucked her chin to her collarbone, sighing tiredly. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine it as if God were here in this room with her. It's really the only way she actually gets through these crazy classes.  
"Good morning class, how is everyone today?" Sister Riley calls out, her voice as chipper as always. Kaoru sighed yet again and pulled her feet off the table before Sister got the chance to scold her. She settled back into her seat normally, turning her head to the right towards the window as Sister began explaining what they were going to learn today. Kaoru didn't like having mixed classes, although there weren't enough kids to have separate age groups, because it made her feel stupid. Typically, the 5 through 7 year olds are together, 8-10, and then 11+. Kaoru is seventeen, three years older than the oldest in her classes.  
"Please everyone, lets make Kyo feel welcome," Sister says, drawing Kaoru's attention. She looks up at the front, slightly surprised to see the guy from this morning, Kyo. He had changed from his flour coated clothes into a more presentable jeans and green plaid button up, and his blonde hair was now visibly darker without the harsh cafeteria lights and flour coating it.  
His eyes catch Kaoru's as soon as she spotted him, and he smiles kindly in her direction. Typically Kaoru would've been ticked that a new kid thought he could just stumble right into her group like this, but Kaoru felt more obliged to this guy. It's probably just because he's around her age.  
He makes his way to the back and takes the empty seat beside her that Kaoru hasn't noticed before. Silently she cursed Nate, her best friend, for always being late.  
"Hi, I'm Kyo," he said, extending a hand to her with a playful smirk. He's trying to pretend this morning never happened, she realized with a smirk of her own. She leaned over and grabbed his hand, shaking it as if it were the first time. Technically, it was. Formally that is.  
"Kaoru," she replied, releasing his hand and leaning back into her chair. Up at the front, Sister blabbers away about angle measurements and how to find supplementary and complementary angles. Kaoru didn't care and, from the looks of it, neither did Kyo. She smiled at this. "Math too boring for ya? Told you this place gets on you. And look, it's only your first day," Kaoru tsks sadly, hiding her smile with a thick frown. Kyo just smiles, revealing dazzling white teeth.  
"Oh no, I'm just a bit more interested in something else," Kyo says quietly, his eyes glazing over mischievously. Kaoru stops and frowns at him. For some reason she felt as if she knew he'd say something like that.  
"Yeah, well trust me, I get boring really fast," she dismissed, turning her attention back to the front. Kyo laughs huskily, sending shivers down her back. What the hell.  
"We'll see about that," he whispers, leaning beside her ear. His breath tickles her cheek as he pulls away, staring at the board. Kaoru glances at him a few times, but he doesn't return a look her way. What an odd boy.


	6. Chapter 6

Momoko went through the rest of her classes barely paying attention to anything besides the hallway boy, Akari. She still didn't understand him, which upset her. Some moments he'd be a complete ass and then the next he was super sweet and forgiving. An unruly pattern she liked to think she'd be able to decipher. Boy, was she wrong.  
It was english class now, right before lunch, and he seemed to be in a more pleasing mood. Momoko gazed him analyzingly from across the room, watching as he scribbled down notes with a big smirk on his face. She narrowed her eyes as he dropped his pencil, bending to pick it up. She had considered a personality disorder, but he didn't seem to fight with himself when his attitude changed, so she settled on the fact that he was just a moody teenager, not quite unlike herself.  
Akari raised back into his seat and turned around. Instantly his Hazel eyes caught hers, freezing her stiff. For a second he looked as if he might be mad to see her watching him, but then a careless smile crawled onto his face. The smile was so free, so untethered that it made her own lips tilt upwards. She quickly covered It by coughing into her hand and turning away. Silently she scolded herself and promised not to look at him again, no matter what.  
It wasn't long after when Momoko suddenly felt uncomfortable in her skin. Quickly she realized the familiar feeling of eyes on her and she sighed, knowing it was Akari. She hunkered down into her seat, squaring her shoulders and ducking her head into the desk. For a minute she felt the relief of being clear, but then the feeling washed over her again and she released a chilly sigh without realizing it. She glanced around quickly, but no one seemed to pay her mind, only Akari who was staring at her with wide eyes. She pretended to push back her hair and glance around for an eye to catch. Thankfully Logan, Miyako's friend, looked in my direction and I smiled sweetly at him. Logan looked confused for a minute and then shyly waved back. Miyako had told me that he had a crush on me  
She goes back to her paper and secretly glances at Akari. He's looking away from me now, staring deeply at his paper as if it could give him answers. She sighs in relief and folds her arms on the desk, resting her head and closing her eyes.  
Momoko stuffed her books carelessly into her book bag before tossing it over her head and speed walking out of the classroom. She planned to tell anyone who asked that she was just really hungry, which in truth she was, and wanted to get to lunch before the sandwiches were gone. She knew no one would question her after that, and she would get a clear way to lunch.  
The halls were crowded, well as crowded as an orphanage of 54 people can be, as the students came running from their classrooms with their friends dragging behind by the hand. Momoko glanced around to find a familiar blonde, knowing that Miyako didn't have classes until after lunch and would be coming in from the outside. However Kaoru seemed to be nowhere in sight, and with a sigh, Momoko began to make her way towards her dorm. All around her little kids pushed and shoved to get through, although they had little affect on Momoko. Most of the kids dodged around her legs, probably too frightened by her height to come close to her. It was easy to spot Momoko and her sisters out in a crowd, they were like the Empire State Building compared to the little apartment building around them.  
Momoko made it to her dorm and pulled out the key. By now, most of the herd had already made their way to the lunch room, but Momoko didn't worry. She knew Miyako would have a table saved already.  
The door opened, releasing a frosty gush of air from this morning. Momoko didn't really mind it, being immune to cold and all, but her sisters hated it. They almost always had a sweater handy.  
Momoko closed the door behind her and took in a deep breath of the cool air. Her eyes fluttered as she sighed it out, pulling her book bag off her shoulder and tossing it into her bed. Her sheets were still cast astray over her floor from Kaoru's scare this morning, but she stepped around them and grabbed her waterborne from the nightstand. She gave the room a final look, making a mental note of where her math homework was so she could grab it and go when she returned after free period. With a final approving nod she turned and exited the room, locking the door behind her.  
"A little chilly in there, don't you think?" A voice says, making Momoko jump. She bites her lip to prevent breathing out a plume of frost that crawled up her throat and turned to look at the newcomer. Of course, it was Akari, gazing down at her while leaning inconspicuously against the wall beside her door. He took off the sweatshirt he'd been wearing earlier and was now wearing a white muscle shirt that showed his broad shoulders and tone chest. Momoko cleared her throat and tilted her head up, purposely not looking there.  
"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice stiff as she tried to keep her face impassive. Akari just smiled, that same stupid smile that made her stomach twist.  
"I just figured I'd warn you about temperature regulations and all, just so you don't have to learn the hard way," he said with a wink. Momoko frowned instantly and folded her arms, narrowing her eyes.  
"This is going to be how it is then? Fine," she said, turning away and walking towards the lunch hall. She didn't hear Akari run after her, but he arrived beside her, his arms swinging down to his sides.  
"It was just a joke, babe," he says with a teasing smile. Momoko turned and glared at him, speeding up. He just makes his strides longer, easily keeping up with her pace. "Nice room you got there. Share it with someone?"  
"What do you want?" She cried, stopping and turning to face him. He stopped as well, looking down at her and holding his arms up in surrender.  
"I just wanted to get to know you, you know, being the only person my age besides my brothers," he admired, his eyes soft. Momoko was about to mention her sisters but stopped, more for their safety.  
"Brothers?" She asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.  
"Now look who's curious," Akari smiled, but Momoko's face remained impassive. Akari aighed and rolled his eyes. "I've got two younger brothers, Kyo and Ikuto, only by a month though."  
"So there are more of you?" Momoko asked, completely appalled by the idea of two others like this one running around. Akari laughed at that, his smile growing wider.  
"And here I was, thinking you were some boring book girl," he said, tilting his head to show that the last part was meant in all humor, but Momoko still pulled a frown to her face.  
"Whatever," she dismissed with a wave of her hand and started back towards the cafeteria. He caught up again, keeping even with her pace.  
"I am serious though, you look like you could use a friend," he said, glancing over at her. Momoko scoffed, cocking an eyebrow.  
"Oh yeah, and what gave you that impression?" She asked. Akari laughed.  
"I'd say the fact that you were flirting with that twelve year old might be a clue," he said, making Momoko blush and turn away. She cursed herself for that, but didn't correct him. It's better he think that was the reason behind it.  
"Whatever," Momoko sighed in embarrassment, pushing open the doors of the cafeteria and going to the lunch table her sisters say at.  
"Hey Momo, what took you so long?" Miyako asked as Momoko say down.  
"I was distracted by that dweeb," Momoko sighed, turning around only to find Akari gone. She blinked in surprise and then glances around the room.  
"Who?" Kaoru asked, her mouth full of sandwich.  
"Uh, never mind," Momoko said quietly, sitting down at the table and eating the sandwich Miyako passed to her. She thanked her sister and entered into the conversation, all thoughts of her new "friend" in the back of her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

(There have been a lot of class seances so this is after "school".)  
Miyako walked down to the greenhouse with Logan by her side. Currently he was telling her about the new boy in his class and how he was moving in on "his" Momoko. Miyako just nodded along, her mind mostly focused on the hope that the blue streak she saw earlier would be back. That's what she decided to call him. Streak.  
She came up to the greenhouse and her heart trilled when she saw the door standing slightly ajar. She wanted to run in and call out to him, but restricted herself. She didn't want to scare him off again.  
"Hmm? Did you forget to close it up last time?" Logan asked, also spotting the open door. Miyako giggled lightly, shrugging her shoulders.  
"Must have," she added a hint of embarrassment just to seal the deal. Either she was a better actor than she thought it he was just too distracted to care. Either way, Miyako opened the door and stepped inside without his complaint. Sure enough, when she glanced down at the hose she saw the dirt freshly wet. Her heart beat rapidly, the excitement making it pound in her ears. She tried to subdue it as she walked over to the watering can she had abandoned earlier. It was still cold so she picked it up and watered the smaller plants. They already seemed to be thriving with life.  
"Did you already water them?" Logan asked, poking the wet dirt of a plant farther down. Miyako opened her mouth to try her acting skill again, but Logan now had his focus on her, and when he focused on something, he gave 100% of his attention to it. "Miyako, is someone here?"  
"Alright, alright," Miyako said, waving her hands in defeat. She was never a good liar anyway. "When I came here this morning all the plants were watered. I explored a little and discovered that there was a boy here. He ran out and disappeared before I could talk to him, so I thought he might be back." Logan blinked slowly at her, wrapping his brain around what she had said. Then he turned away and gently touched the wet dirt with his finger.  
"A boy?" He asked, although it sounded as if he was talking more to himself than her. Miyako nodded her head in excitement regardless.  
"And he's my age," she added in a whisper, as if the excitement in her voice would expose herself. Logan turned away from the plant, leaning against the table with a curious look.  
"I thought you said you were the only one with the key," he said, his blonde eyebrow raising.  
"I am," Miyako said with an eyeroll, before frowning. It was a topic that had pondered her mind as she walked around the greenhouse earlier, looking for signs of breach. There was nothing, not even a scratch on the door. "I don't know how he got in."  
"This is a problem. Don't you think you should be telling the sisters instead of trying to find him," he said, then he glanced around as if there were people listening. He leaned over towards her, his green eyes alight with something she didn't recognize. "He could be dangerous."  
That's what it was. Fear. Logan was afraid of the boy, although she didn't know if it was for her, himself, or both of them. Either way Miyako shook her head and smiled.  
"What kind of criminal would break into a garden just to water plants? And come back after being spotted?" Miyako questioned, making Logan sigh and roll his eyes.  
"Why did he run then? You can't tell me that's not suspicious," Logan questioned, narrowing his eyes. Miyako laughed and pat his shoulder comfortingly.  
"I'm sorry to tell you, but gardening isn't exactly the manliest thing in the world," Miyako said, moving away and starting up the aisle of plants.  
Logan huffed and followed after her. "It's plenty manly," he murmured as they walked.  
Miyako walked slower this time, taking the time to gaze at each plant. Her heart beat more and more as they continued, each plant being perfectly watered. Whoever this boy was, he had a talent.  
They finally arrived at the row where Miyako had last seen the boy, her take she had used as a weapon still sprawled on the floor. Logan gave her an odd look, but she blushed and continued moving farther. She rounded the corner and stopped when she saw him. He was pouring water onto a plant, his black hair shaggy as if someone had carelessly thrown a pile of hair onto his head, although it only made him look more genuine.  
"Miyako, I don't really think he's here," Logan said. Miyako turned to tell him to me careful when suddenly his foot caught on the rake and sent it flying into the wall. It hit it with a loud thunk, freezing Miyako and Logan on the spot. Miyako quickly rounded the corner, presenting herself to the stranger. His eyes widened again, their deep navy glinting in the artificial light hanging above him. He looked like he wanted to bolt, so Miyako quickly held up a hand. He stared at her oddly, raising an eyebrow curiously.  
"Please, dont run," she begged quickly, her blue eyes wide that she was actually getting to see him. He seemed uncomfortable under her gaze, his eyes shifting around as if looking for an escape route.  
"W-what do you want?" He asked, his voice quivers but loud. It echoed down to Miyako, sending danfeous shivers up her back. For a second she almost believed that maybe Logan had been right, but she pushed it away and gave a small smile. Logan looked at her with a curious face while the stranger seemed to relax a little.  
"You were here earlier?" Miyako knew it was him, but for some reason she wanted to hear his voice again.  
"You're the girl with the rake?" He questioned back. Miyako laughed sheepishly, smoothing down her skirt in embarrassment.  
"Yes, I'm afraid that was me," she said with a light giggle, unable to fight the blush rising to her cheeks. "I'm sorry for scarring you, but I was just...curious." she waved her hand lightly as if the last part didn't matter, but the boy nodded slightly.  
"I assumed you'd come back," he said almost shyly. It was so cute that Miyako found herself smiling.  
"I'm Miyako," she said quickly before she forgot. She glanced at Logan and smiled. "This is Logan."  
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ikuto," he said, making her eyes go wide.  
"You're from Japan?" She asked excitedly, joy lighting up her face. Ikuto gave a small smile, nodding.  
"Me and my brothers arrived here today," he said, glancing out towards the direction of the orphanage. I frowned, trying to recall seeing him, but I couldn't. As if noticing my confusion he gave a small laugh. "I got stuck unpacking."  
"You're brothers didn't help you?" She asked, furrowing her eyebrows. Ikuto shrugged, smiling lopsidedly.  
"I lost the bet, but it wasn't too bad. There isn't much," then, as if remembering he barely knew me, he frowned and took a step back. She didn't attempt to move forward, afraid to scare him off. "Why are you here?"  
"I care for the gardens, occasionally with Logan's help," she said, moving aside and motioning to the small boy besides her. He gazed up at Ikuto but didn't make any signs of friendliness. Miyako frowned but just turned back to Ikuto. "I was also hoping to catch you and thank you for your help."  
"It's no problem," Ikuto said, shifting uncomfortably. "I-I should probably be getting back before my brothers try to find me," he glanced at Miyako, smiling shyly. "I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow? both of you," he added quickly  
"Of course!" Miyako replied, smiling. "I hope you rest well. Oh, and welcome to St. Marie's," she added. Ikuto walked up to her, stopping as if he wanted to say something, then changed his mind and walked off. She could hear the slap of his feet on pavement as he ran away.  
"I told you, you were overreacting," Miyako said playfully, picking up the empty watering can that Ikuto had used. "He's just a boy."  
"Boy, maybe, but criminal is yet to be seen," Logan murmured, taking her watering can and helping her finish up the rest of the plants. Miyako wanted to correct him, but held her tongue. He was right, that was yet to be seen.


	8. Chapter 8

Kaoru walked into her dorm room slouched over, her long blonde hair dangling in her face, although she made no move to remove it.  
She found Momoko and Miyako already in the room. Miyako sat criss-crossed on her bed with her homework in front of her while Momoko lay in her pajamas, long black pants and a white tank top, flicking through channels on the tv. That was one of the first things they bought when they arrived here, the TV. Kaoru couldn't live without one, and both her siblings agreed it wouldn't be torturous to have.  
Miyako didn't look up from her homework but waved in Kaoru's general direction. Momoko on the other hand, sat up and looked determined at her sister with her brown eyes. Momoko only took out the contacts just when she was about to go to sleep, in case of late night visits. It'd happened before, Momoko had just pulled off her contacts when Sister Jacklyn came in. Momoko had screamed, covered her face with the blankets and toppled to the floor. Thankfully, Miyako had come up with the terribly girly excuse that Momoko had a huge zit. The next day Sister Jacklyn very un secretly gave Momoko a tube of cream, patting her shoulder sensibly. Momoko had refused to leave her dorm for a week after that.  
"Where have you been?" Momoko asked, her eyes wide with confusion although her voice held anger. Kaoru gave her a cold look before flopping into her bed with a sigh, pulling up her blankets to bury her face into it. She released a loud groan, drawing Miyako's attention to her as well.  
"Everything okay, Kaoru?" Miyako asked kindly, but Momoko just rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the TV.  
"If being stuck in "detention" for three hours is considered wonderful, than just peachy," Kaoru said, sighing angrily. Miyako glanced at Momoko, but her older sister just rolled her eyes and sighed, playing along.  
"What did you do to earn this em style="box-sizing: border-box;"wonderful/em detention?" Momoko asked, returning her attention to her younger sister. Kaoru dramatically pulled the blanket away from her face and flipped onto her side, supporting her head with her arm.  
"Absolutely nothing, and that's not even the worse part," she said, rubbing her head angrily.  
"What else happened?" Miyako asked as Kaoru key out a long sigh.  
"That idiot, Kyo, was the one who got me in trouble! I was just mining my own business when I caught him staring at me. I politely told him to bug off and Sister Nicola came over and gave me detention, for three hours!" She closed her eyes for a brief second before shaking her head. "I always knew she didn't like me."  
"Oh, Kaoru, don't go blaming this on the sisters," Momoko said, sighing and glancing at the tv before clicking it off.  
"Don't defend her! You're the one who said just last week that Sister Angela was a prick because she degraded your Spanish assessment when you forgot a period." (I've actually had this happen to me and it is SO annoying)  
"That was different!" Momoko defended, sitting up. Kaoru followed her lead but Miyako stood up and stuck a hand in each girls face. They stopped instantly, staring at her.  
"Who's Kyo?" She asked to distract her sisters. They both blinked at her and then Kaoru scoffed, getting up and tugging her shirt over her head.  
"The biggest excuse for a jackass I've ever seen. I didn't think someone could be nice and an ass at the same time," she growled, throwing her shirt on the floor and sliding on a see through green top.  
"Kaoru," Momoko said, giving Kaoru a hard look. She sighed and began to struggle out of her pants, falling back onto the bed before slipping her legs out.  
"In other words, he's the new kid," she murmured, getting into white pajama pants. Momoko looked at Kaoru with raised eyebrows, but Miyako smiled.  
"Oh! That must be one of Ikuto's brothers!" Miyako clapped excitedly while Momoko and Kaoru frowned.  
"Um, who's Ikooto?" Kaoru asked confusedly.  
"Ikuto," Miyako corrected, "he's Kyo's brother. He wasn't in class today because he lost a bet to his brothers and got stuck unpacking."  
"Brothers? Oh yeah, Akari mentioned them," Momoko replied glumly, flopping onto her pillow with a sigh.  
"Wait, are you telling me there are three of this bastards here now?" Kaoru asked with narrow eyes.  
"Yes," Momoko sighed.  
"Ikuto's not a bastard," Miyako pouted, earning odd looks from her sisters. "What?" She cried with a slight blush. Kaoru just shook her head disbelievingly.  
"I just can't believe there's three of them," Kaoru sighed and pulled her blankets up to cover her. "Unbelievable."  
"Just when I thought life couldn't get worse," Momoko sighed, cuddling herself into her blankets with a plume of frost. Miyako shivered and then sighed sadly.  
"I guess I'm not finishing my homework tonight," Miyako jumped into bed and bundled herself up.  
"Night," Kaoru murmured sleepily, slumping on her pillow.  
"Sleep tight," Blossom yawned.  
"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Bubbles giggled, earning groans from her sisters as the lights went out.


	9. Chapter 9

Momoko walked down the hall towards the outdoors to meet Miyako. She had dispensed her book bag off in her room and was walking to meet Miyako and Kaoru. Their group was taking a trip to the beach, as the older kids usually did.  
She wore a pink bikini top with black bottoms beneath her Jean shorts. Her hair is pulled up into a high ponytail so it stops at her waist with a pair of shades in it and a towel hangs across her arm  
She walks out and spots her sisters chatting in the shade of the tree. Besides them Logan and Nate are having an arm wrestle while Nancy watches with a grimace. Momoko smiled and walked over, her flip flops clapping against her heel./  
"Hey girls," she waved, stopping the conversation they were having. Miyako looked over and returned the wave while Kaoru nodded, obviously feeling much better than last night. Miyako wore a strapless blue mermaid top and blue bottoms with beaded loops hanging off the side. Kaoru had on a neck strap green and black stripped top that went to her ribs and tight black sport shorts, probably because she lost the bottoms. Momoko smiled at this. Some things never change.  
"Morning Momo, took you long enough," Kaoru sighed, although a smile lights up her face. Her blonde hair is tied up high and shades cover her eyes. Miyako, on the other hand, had her black hair let down in curls, obviously with no intention of going into the water. Momoko didn't really have a desire to wet her hair, but a soak would feel nice in the 113 degree weather.  
"Sorry, I was searching around the place for my shades," Momoko apologized, looking around. She spotted Akari and his brothers a few feet away, watching her with squinted eyes. She caught Akari's eye and gave a small wave. After a second he returned it and she smiled, turning back to her sisters.  
"I thought you didn't like him?" Nancy asked, drawing the boys attention away from their arm wrestle.  
"Who?" Logan asked, jumping up and looking around angrily. Momoko rolled her eyes and pats his shoulder lightly.  
"Don't worry pal, you're the only guy in my life," She teased with a smile. Logan blushes and turns away, but Nancy giggles.  
"Ms. Bishop, how nice of you to join us," Sister Nicola said, approaching us. Momoko turned and managed a smile for the sister.  
"Sorry, I was a little disorganized," Momoko apologized with a small nod. The sister stared at her for a moment before turning away.  
"Well, now that we're all finally here," she looked sharply at Momoko to which the brunet smiled sweetly. A few laughs broke out and Sister Nicola rolled her eyes, turning her back to Momoko. "Alright, get on the bus. Go on!"  
Everyone groaned and boarded onto the giant yellow bus. It was the only thing that held all the kids at once, and even that was pushing it. Momoko and her friends boarded on and headed to the back, surprised to see it occupied by the three brothers.  
"Really?" Kaoru said loudly, drawing their attention towards them. Momoko rolled her eyes and bumped Kaoru with her hip into the empty seat besides her. Kaoru let loose a small scream as she was pushed and Momoko rolled her eyes before sitting besides her. Miyako giggled and took the seat across from them, Logan slipping in besides her. Nancy and Nate looked at each other, blushes lighting up their cheeks. Momoko smiled, recalling that Nancy had a crush on Kaoru's friend. She shared a look with Kaoru before leaving around the seat.  
"Well go on, sit down. You don't want to wait in this hot bus forever, do you?" Momoko teased to which Nancy glared at her. Finally, her small blonde haired friend sighed and slid into the empty seat diagonal from Momoko and Kaoru, Nate slipping in beside her.  
"Nicely done," a voice said from behind her. Momoko turned around to see a boy with dusty blonde hair and green eyes smiling, no, smirking at her. She guessed by the way Kaoru snorted besides her that this was Kyo, and for other obvious reasons.  
"Thanks, it's good to keep the kids on their toes," Momoko smiled, earning a chuckle from him. He shifted slightly and offered her his hand.  
"Kyo Wale," he said politely. Akari peeked his head out from the seat opposite of his brothers', watching As Momoko smiled and accepted his offer with a shake.  
"Momoko Bishop," she returned, releasing his hand. Kyo smirked slightly, making Momoko cock her eyebrow.  
"So you're Sisters' favorite angel?" He teases. Momoko laughed and smirked back.  
"Sure, you could say that," she said before turning back around and settling into her seat. She felt Akari, Kyo, and Kaoru's eyes on her, but she just pulled her shades over her eyes and crossed her legs. Today was going to be fun.  
The sunlight fell down upon the girls, bearing down heavily upon them with its intense heat. Miyako wiped her brow and panted while Kaoru and Momoko gazed out at the crystal clear water. The beach was pretty full, people and children lounging and running along the beach, while swimmers splashed and screamed playfully in the water. As soon as they had gotten off, the younger kids of the group had run off to the water, joining in with the other kids in a game of tag or splash.  
"Well I'm going to go find a spot to spread out," Miyako said, gazing around the beach before smiling in success. She turned to the girls, offering a hand. "Want me to spread out your towels?"  
"Thanks, Miya," Momoko said, handing over her towel to the awaiting arms. Miyako turned to Kaoru, but the green eyed girl just shrugged.  
"You don't have to lay it out, just keep it close," She said, handing it over. Miyako nodded and waved goodbye, heading over to her destined spot.  
"I feel sad for the poor bloke that will get to that spot before her," Momoko said, noticing another pair of eyes much closer to the spot. Kaoru just smiled, pulling down her shades.  
"You know Miya, she'll have that spot and boys slaving there to her every whim," Kaoru and Momoko laughed.  
"You make her sound like some sort of goddess," Momoko teased, nudging Kaoru's side. Her sister pushed her back lightly, smiling large.  
"Isn't she?" Kaoru laughed, earning a smile in return. Momoko sighed out a long breath and gazed over to the water.  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to burn to s crisp if I don get into that water right now," Momoko said, glancing at her sister. Kaoru raised an eyebrow and smiled.  
"Race ya," she said before taking off down the sand.  
"Hey! No fair!" Momoko yelled, sprinting after her. The two spilled sand everywhere as they ran down to the water, earning a chorus of angry shouts behind them. Momoko giggled and Kaory laughed as she splashed into the water, falling chest forward into the cold, refreshing water. She stopped just before her head ducked under, the tips of her blonde hair floating around her. Momoko splashed in besides her, following suit.  
"God, this feels so good," Kaoru moaned, shifting her shoulders comfortably. Momoko sighed and dug her knees into the sand, enjoying the cool repellant of the heat.  
"Miyako doesn't know what she's missing," Momoko agreed, closing her eyes and tilting her face up towards the sun. The feeling of the heat and cold battling in her body sent a fuzzy tingling sensation through her limbs.  
"Well if it isn't my two favorite gals," A smooth voice said from above them. Momoko opened her eyes and blinked repeatedly, adjusting to the brightness. Two of the three boys stood before them, towering above them with the water only up to their thighs. Kyo smiled down at them, Akari standing with an impassive look on his face.  
"Oh, it's you," Kaoru said with a sigh, pulling her shades back down with a grunt of disappointment. Kyo didn't seem fazed by it, but Akari rolled his eyes. He knew it was a bad idea to come over here.  
"Don't mind her," Momoko said, sending a small splash at her sister. Kaoru growled but sent a playful one back. Momoko tilted her head back up, smiling. "You know, it's a lot nicer down here."  
Kyo and Akari looked at her in shock and she gave them a confused smile.  
"The water is nice, you know, because it's hot?" Momoko asked with a cock of her head.  
"Yeah, I knew that," Kyo responded with a smile. He slid down into the water, sitting on his butt so his chin stuck out. He glanced up at his unmoving brother.  
"Relax, we're not gonna bite," Momoko teased, splashing his leg. Akari looked slightly conflicted, then slid in like his brother.  
"No promises," Kaoru murmured, but she smiled none the less.  
"Do you do this often?" Kyo asked, motioning to the beach.  
"Weekends and on the rare occasion that something big happens. In this case, you three are the big somethings," Momoko explained with a thankful smile.  
"Speaking of three, where's the third one, and who're you?" Kaoru asked bluntly, narrowing her eyes at Akari.  
"I'm Akari, and Ikuto doesn't like to swim," Akari said, holding out a hand. Kaoru shook it politely, letting her hand slowly sink back under the surface when it was over.  
"So how's your first days been?" Momoko asked politely, settling back on her heels so her chin touched the water. The contact sent shivers up her arms.  
"As good as they could be, I guess. At least there are others our age," Akari said, giving Momoko a soft look.  
"Where did you guys come from, anyway?" Kaoru asked, narrowing her eyes as she examined them. Kyo and Akari glanced at each other, then cleared their throats.  
"We've been all over," Akari said with a look that ended the conversation. Kaoru glanced at Momoko but her sister just nodded, understanding completely. She had said the same thing once a long time ago.  
"Must be interesting," was all she said. Akari eyed her curiously, but she got up and glanced down at Kaoru. "Care for a race?"  
"Oh you're on!" Kaoru said without hesitation. Momoko smiled and dove into the water. "Hey, wait!" Kaoru dove after her, leaving the two boys behind. The brothers glanced at each other curiously.  
"Hey, come on!" Momoko called, waving too them. "I hope you two aren't afraid of the water."  
Akari looked at Kyo before smiling and diving after the girls. Kyo sputtered as the splash from his brother washed over him before he grinned and dove after him.


	10. Chapter 10

Miyako got the spot within two minutes of her argument with the four boys who had wanted it. One of the boys, a tall kid with bright blonde hair and blue eyes, must have fancied her because he convinced his friends that it wasn't big enough for all four, and got them to move on. Miyako smiled kindly at him as he left with his friends, spreading out her blanket in the sand. She tossed Kaoru's blanket down beside hers and rolled out Momoko's, letting it flutter in the wind before placing it flatly up against the sand. Miyako gave it a scrutinizing look and then smiled, laying down on her blanket, using Kaoru's blanket as a pillow.  
Miyako pulled down her jewel studded shades over her eyes and sighed as the sun caressed her bare skin. Not too long ago, Miyako had been too fearful to wear a bikini because it exposed her too much. The only person she'd ever worn a bikini for was...well, lets just say she'd never had intentions of wearing the underwear like garments if not for Momoko wearing one.  
Miyako suddenly sat up at the thought of him. Her chest pounded as she recalled their beach day. He had personally managed to clear the beach and had s while picnic set out for her. It wasn't as hot as it was today, but warm with a gentle breeze blowing by. Then again, Townsville had never gotten too hot. The thought made Miyako sigh and rub her temples. Her head hurt at the thought of her old counterpart, her heart beating along with it. She missed him so much it hurt. His blonde hair, that crazy sweet smile, and those deep blue eyes...  
"Hey, you alright?" Miyako jumped and looked up quickly, her eyes catching familiar deep navy blue eyes. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Boomer...  
Miyako quickly laughed as she recognized the face as Ikuto. She mentally slapped herself for her carelessness and pat her hair subconsciously.  
"Oh yeah, I'm okay," she laughed again, then looked back up at him, noticing that his swim trunks were dry and his chest and hair didn't have water droplets on them. Miyako quickly averted her eyes from his chest with a soft cough. "You don't like to swim?"  
"Not really, you know, drowning and stuff," he said lamely, giving a nervous smile. Miyako nodded in understanding and glanced at the bottom of her towel.  
"You want to sit. If you're not going to swim then we can talk," she offered, glancing back up at him. Ikuto looked nervous, but he folded his legs under him and say at the end of her towel. Miyako pulled her legs up and tucked her knees behind her, her left hand down on the ground to hold her up. For a second they just looked at each other, uncertain of what to say, then Ikuto cleared his throat.  
"Nice day today, is it usually this hot?" He asked curiously, his voice sounding slightly bolder from their previous visit. Miyako gave him a smile and glanced up at the clear blue sky.  
"Hot summers, freezing winters. Everything else is pretty much regular," Miyako said, glancing back to him. Right now it was the end of summer heading towards fall, although that didn't stop people from heading to the beach.  
"Seems nice," Ikuto commented, glancing up and down the crowded beaches with disdain.  
"Crowds aren't my favorite either," Miyako said, thinking back to her beach date before pushing it sharply from her mind.  
"I've never really liked being around a lot of people. Usually it's just me and my brothers," Ikuto said absently, returning his eyes to her. For a second she saw a flash of pain in his blue irises, but it quickly disappeared.  
"I take it you've been around?" Miyako asked politely, curiously tilting her head. Ikuto smiled kindly at her and nodded, sighing.  
"Orphanage after orphanage," he agreed sadly. Miyako choked on her breath, her eyes wide.  
"I didn't realize you were a hand-me-down," she said, instantly regretting it by the weird horror filled look on his face. "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that! It's what we call kids who keep switching orphanages. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it."  
Ikuto looked at her panicked demeanor and smiled, placing a hand on her arm to calm her down. Instantly she stopped, her eyes still wide with a sorrowful look.  
"It's alright, we've been called much worse," Ikuto said with a small smile. Miyako stared at him and then closed her mouth, her eyes still held sorrow though.  
"So you and your brothers are close?" Miyako asked, moving away from the topic. Ikuto shrugged his shoulders, but she could see a sort of glint in his eyes that wasn't there before.  
"We manage each other. What about you? You and your sisters seen pretty close," he asked, hunching his shoulders. Miyako smiled and glanced off towards the water where Momoko, Kaoru, Kyo, and Akari were having a water war. If it had been a few years earlier, Miyako would've joined them, but her smile disappeared as she watched them giggle and shout.  
"Miyako," Ikuto asked, trying to follow her eyes. Miyako quickly snapped back to attention and forced a small smile onto her face.  
"Their my family, gotta love 'em," she said, softening her eyes. Ikuto seemed slightly shocked of her answer, but just nodded in agreement.  
"How long have you been here?" Ikuto asked softly, as if the topic might be sensitive. Miyako shrugged easily, answering the question many times before.  
"Four, five years? You kinda loose track of time here," Miyako shrugged and leaned her head against her shoulder. "What about you? How long have you been switching?"  
"Four years and seven months," Ikuto said factually, a sad look descending his face.  
"Oh," Miyako said quietly, then smiled. "A man of time, yeah?"  
"I guess," Ikuto said, but he smiled kindly. "Where did you come from before?"  
"It's pretty far from here, called New Townsville," she said with a shrug. For a second Ikuto's eyes widened, and she waited to see if he would ask if she'd met the powerpuff girls like every other person she told. Instead he nodded his head.  
"Sounds nice over there," he said, raising an eyebrow. Miyako gave a small smile and shrugged.  
"I don't really remember, I was just dumped there," she lied, but Ikuto's face instantly softened.  
"I'm sorry," he said kindly. Miyako smiled thankfully at him, slightly relieved that he didn't choose to ask how she ended up in America. (I'm just saying that New Townsville is in Japan and this place, Briston, is in America)  
"It was a long time ago," was all Miyako said before sighing. Ikuto nodded and looked at her oddly. She tilted her head, but he quickly looked away. "Something wrong?"  
"I just wanted to thank you, you know, for being nice to me. I know I'm not the most typical friend," he said quickly.  
"Typical is boring," Miyako said with a smile, placing a hand on his arm. For a second she felt an odd tingle go through her body, but she shook it away. Ikuto looked at her, his eyes curious. "Besides, it should be me thanking you. I've never had a friend my age here."  
"Really?" Ikuto asked, mildly shocked. Miyako smiled and her eyes softened.  
"Really," she agreed with a laugh. Ikuto laughed too and then looked serious.  
"So does this mean that we're friends?" He asked uncertainly, obviously afraid of her turning around on him. Miyako smiled kindly and nodded.  
"Best friends," she said with a giggle. Ikuto laughed too, a small blush rising to his cheeks. Miyako smiled largely and they continued to talk.


	11. Chapter 11

"I totally won," Kyo said coolly as the group arrived at the busy ice cream shop. Kaoru turned and gave him a dry look.  
"In your dreams. You flopped like a fish down there," Kaoru said, then gave him a big smile. "I won."  
"No way," Kyo gasped, shocked at her claim. The two glared at each other and continued to bicker."It's like there's two of them," Momoko said with a mock look of horror on her face. Akari snorted slightly, folding his arms over his chest as they gazed at their siblings.  
"I've gotten used to it, him and Iku fight all the time," he shrugged his shoulders in convent. Momoko frowned at the nickname, trying to remember the name she'd heard before.  
"Speaking of Ikuto, where is he?" Momoko gazed out at the beach, but she couldn't seem to find the brother that Miyako was speaking of. Then, she spotted Miyako talking with a black haired boy. "Oh, is that him?"  
Akari followed the direction of Momoko's finger and then smiled. "Yup, that's him. Is that a girl he's with?" Akari narrowed his eyes to get a better look.  
"That's Miyako, my sister," Momoko added as she saw the blank expression on his face. Akari sighed in realization and smirked.  
"Ah, that explains it," he said, turning back to Momoko. Momoko raised an eye and began to make her way over to a table. They took seats, Momoko leaning back.  
"You sounded surprised that your brother was with a girl?" Momoko noted questioningly, raising an eyebrow. Akari merely shrugged, scratching his hair distractedly.  
"Iku is what you could call a loner. He's not, really, just not super comfortable around, you know, people," Akari struggled to respond, ending with another small shrug. Momoko nodded to herself and glanced back across the beach at the pair. She watched with a small smile as Miyako laughed, leaning her head back. A huge smile graced her sister's face, bigger than any she'd seen in quite some time. It made Momoko feel happy.  
"Well Miyako's his girl then," she said, turning back to look at Akari. "She loves everyone."  
"Yeah, I can tell," he said admiringly, eyeing his brother and my sister. "So, I've never really been around here before. Tell me what it's like, why I should stay?" He placed his head in his untwined hands, resembling a business manager. Momoko stifled a laugh and took a deep breath, pulling on a straight face. She opened her mouth to speak, but broke into laughter when she saw Akari twirling his eyebrows teasingly.  
"Stop that," she cried, clutching her face in her hand in an attempt to muffle the laughter. For some reason she just couldn't seem to make it stop, and the face he was making was only worse.  
"Momo, people are staring," Akari laughed lightly, settling back into his seat with success written on his face. Momoko let more breathless giggles escape her mouth until she finally lay back, resting a hand on her stomach. She smiled largely at him, giggling even more as he blushed and smiled back.  
"Did you just call me Momo?" She asked after a long moment of recovering her breath. Akari raised his eyebrows in surprise, looking at her.  
"Hmm, I guess I did. I hope you don't mind?" He asked, turning to look at her. Momoko felt a small blush light up her cheeks, and she turned her face towards the sun, hoping the glare would block out the color.  
"Not if you don't mind me calling you Aki," Momoko countered, glancing at him. She imagined him having a sour look on his face, but he surprised her by smiling kindly.  
"Aki it is...Momo," he said teasingly. Momoko bit her lip to hide the smile, but it snuck up regardless. It shines brightly on her lips, reflecting the joy that both were feeling inside.  
"Maybe he won't be so bad," Momoko thought, glancing at him. He returned her glance and smiled.  
"Maybe we can actually stay here," he thought as well. He smiled at her which Momoko returned.  
"Ugh, not you two!" Kaoeu cried, approaching them with two cups of ice cream in her hands. Kyo wasn't too far her, still looking out at the beach where Miyako and Ikuto were talking.  
"What?" Momoko asked innocently, batting her eyelashes in a dare for Kaoru to call her out. Her sister groaned and took the seat between them, Kyo taking the other side.  
"Here you go, strawberry with a single cherry," Kaoru sighed, sliding the pink cup of ice cream towards her sister. Momoko's eyes lit up and she picked up the spoonful, sucking on it with closed eyes.  
"So good!" She squealed, earning a small laugh from her sister.  
"Here's your disgusting slop," Kyo said distastefully, placing a cup of cherry ice cream with hot fudge in front of Akari. Akari glared harshly at his brother, although it was a kind glare, and tasted his own. A smile rose to his face and he glanced at Kyo.  
"Delicious," he stretched the word pointidly, earning an eye roll. Momoko giggled and continued to eat get ice cream.  
"And chocolate mint for me," Kaoru said overjoyed as she sucked on her own spoon. Kyo put down his spoon and stared incredulously at her. It took s moment for Kaoru to notice, but she drowned when she did. "Do I have something on my face?"  
"You like mint?" He asked, disregarding her question. Kaoru huffed slightly and held up her cup as evidence.  
"It's in here, is it not?" She asked, but Kyo didn't seem affected by her harsh tone. Instead he looked at his own cup, drawing eyes to it.  
"Well will you look at that," Akari said with a smirk. Kaoru and Kyo looked at each other, equal mixes of horror written on their faces. Both of them had mint ice cream.  
"T-this doesn't mean anything!" Kaoru stammered, turning away to hide the slight blush growing on her cheeks.  
"Yeh, it's just ice cream! Just means that her taste isn't as bad as if thought," Kyo shrugged, although his eyes still held horror.  
"Yeah, like he- wait what?" She yelled, turning harsh upon his comment. Akari rolled his eyes, but Momoko smiled sweetly.  
"Same tastes, interests, and attitude. Soon enough it'll be Kaoru and Kyo sit tin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-" Kaoru slammed her hand over her sisters mouth, giving her such a harsh glare that it made Kyo and Akari shrink back in surprise  
"Don't you dare," Kaoru hissed dangerously. For a second it looked as if Momoko was scared, but then Kaoru cried out in disgust as Momoko licked her hand. Momoko jumped out of her seat before her sister could stop her.  
"First comes love, then comes marriage, and finally TWO babies in the baby carriage," Momoko screamed as Kaoru growled and chased after her. She continued to chant it as they ran up and down the sand, laughing while Kaoru swore angrily at her.  
"Well that got intense," Kyo said, eating his ice cream while following the girls with his eyes. Akari glanced at his brother before picking up his own ice cream and putting a spoonful in his mouth.  
"Don't wanna be on her bad side," he commented thoughtfully as Kaoru tackled Momoko to the ground.  
"Thanks to Momoko, I think I'm VIP there," Kyo gulped nervously. Akari eyes his brother curiously before looking back at the girls fighting.  
"Do you think we're gonna stay here?" He asked quietly, not taking his eyes away from them. Kyo snorted but also watched them closely. He smirked as Kaoru aimed a reckless hit at her sister, missing as Momoko dodged.  
"We can't leave them," Kyo whispered, no longer really paying attention to the girls. Akari turned to his brother, instantly knowing who he was talking about.  
"Do you really think they're still out there? It's been a while," Akari said uncertainly. Kyo turned away from the girls and looked at his brother seriously. He grabbed the gold necklace around his neck and popped open the locket. The door opened to reveal the bright glow of a green gem.  
"As long as this still glows, I'm still looking," he said sternly. Akari looked at his brothers pendant before fingering his own necklace. Silently he nodded and Kyo closed the locket, cutting off the green light. "We're getting closer," he said, thoughtfully fingering the intricate star designs etched into it. "I can feel it."


	12. Chapter 12

I'm speeding this up because I don't feel like I'll get anywhere towards the end at this rate. It's just after Christmas.  
~few months later~  
Miyako walked down the sidewalk, her navy coat wrapped securely around her small frame and her left arm hooked to Ikuto's, practically dragging him down the streets to look at the shop windows.  
"Ohh, look at that one!" Miyako gasped, halting before a large glittery window that was advertising summer outfits. Ikuto gathered his bearings and gazed up at the window with a confused expression.  
"These are for summer, Miya, it's almost winter," Ikuto reminded her, shivering as if to prove his point. Miyako just giggled and gave his arm a small squeeze before slipping away and walking through the door. Ikuto sighed in defeat and followed after her, knowing he had no other choice.  
The bell dinged merrily above his head as he entered the warm store. He look around dubiously, eyeing the racks of summer clothes. He shook off the cold from outside and walked towards the black haired girl in the navy coat chatting happily with a young man behind a cash register. He reached Miyako's side and the easy smile the young cashier had on before slipped away at the sight of him. Ikuto recognized it as a flirty smile and placed his arm inconspicuously around Miyako's waist. Miyako didn't even bother to yelp in surprise like she did when he first started doing it. She thought it was cute that he was protecting her, even if she didn't need it, and learned to adapt to it. For his sake of course, although she couldn't deny that the feeling of his arm around her sent a billion butterflies to life in her stomach.  
"Thank you for the help," Miyako said, although the boy had been no help, and quickly grabbed Ikuto's arm, dragging him away. She carted him over to the skirts with ease and began to shuffle through some. For a long time Ikuto leaned up against the wall besides her, never leaving too much distance, while eyeing the cashier. After about twenty minutes he seemed to be getting impatient.  
"Why are you getting Summer clothes in the middle of winter?" Ikuto asked curiously, trying his best to keep the annoyance out of his tone. Miyako smiled quietly to herself and tilted her head to look at him. Her black hair, now in pigtails that go past her elbows, shines like velvet in the lighting and her baby blue eyes glint mischievously. Ikuto never managed to understand how her eyes could be so blue and her hair so black, but she never told him. She said it was natural, but Ikuto didn't buy it. However, he also didn't interrogate her on it.  
"Summer does come again, you know," Miyako insisted with a happy smile. This previous summer had been the best her and her sisters had ever had, and that was only half of it. This next summer they'd not only be free to leave the orphanage but able to be with Ikuto and his brothers. The thought made Miyako sigh aloud, earning a curious look from Ikuto. Miyako blushed and turned her head away, shifting through a rack of shirts before sighing in annoyance.  
"Alright, we can go," she said, her tone slightly defeated as she made her way back towards the door. Ikuto didn't bother to ask why, knowing that whatever the reason was, it was his savior.  
Ikuto held the door open for Miyako as they made their way back onto the busy street. Miyako looked around curiously, mildly surprised to see it almost completely deserted. Only a few handfuls remained scattered at random across the streets, and even those seemed to be in a rush to leave.  
"I wonder what we missed?" Miyako asked quietly, not liking that her voice carried across the street. Ikuto glanced around to find the source of the problem, his eyes stopping when he saw the giant clock that could be viewed from every part of the city. He smiled in relief and pointed towards it, directing Miyako's head upwards. She followed his finger to the clock, smiling at her obliviousness.  
"Of course," she laughed, "it's lunch."  
"I didn't think people cleared off the streets this fast," Ikuto noted admiringly. "We should come around this time more often."  
"Not if you want to miss lunch," Miyako reminded him to which Ikuto shrugged admitingly. Miyako glanced up at the clock again and frowned. "We're never going to be able to get back in time."  
Ikuto noticed this too and glanced around, his eyes catching on a small restaurant. "Care to grab a bite then?" He asked, directing Miyako towards the small sandwich shop. Miyako smiled and giggled, looping her arm back in his.  
Why Ikuto, are you asking me on a date?" She asked with a fake gasp of surprise, a small blush heating her cheeks. Ikuto glanced at her and gave her a dazzling smile.  
"I thought this already was one," he laughed before starting towards the shop. Miyako giggled as well but as they neared closer to the shop she glanced at Ikuto from the corner of her eye. Did he really feel like these were dates? Did she?/


	13. Chapter 13

Momoko sat in the library, a pile of papers sitting in front of her and her nose buried in a book. A pair of fake glasses sit on the tip of her nose, just to add to her careless ponytail and sloppy sweatpants she decided to put on for the day.  
The book was about plants, all types of plants. Healing plants, poisonous plants, sharp and pointy, small and smooth, bumpy, smelly, tall, short, you name it, the book had it. Currently Momoko was trying to make a list of all the healing plants she could find that would cure exima and infizema. So far she had a very long list of three, when she needed at the minimum, five. She moodily flipped over another page, her eyes scanning the text quickly before turning to the next page. Finally she closed the book with a light slam and let her forehead hit the table. She growled out of despair, running her fingers angrily through her long hair.\  
"Well someone looks like she's having fun." Momoko didn't bother to lift her head towards the voice, but instead groaned louder. The owner of the voice snickered and she growled as the chair besides her pulled out.  
"And who told you, you could join me?" She asked, lifting her head to meet his face. It was none other than Akari, although she expected no one else. Her brown haired friend was smiling at her, his brown eyes alight with some sort of kind worry. For a second Momoko felt slightly bad for snapping at him, but then the smirk on his face made it burn to ashes.  
"You looked like you needed some fun," he said, raising an eyebrow and examining a paper. Momoko snatched the paper from his hand and returned it to the table. She grabbed all of them and stacked them together, grabbing them and getting up. Akari's eyes widened in alarm and he quickly grabbed her wrist, tugging her back down. "Whoa, whoa! I didn't mean to make you leave!"  
Momoko looked at him and sighed, running her fingers aggravatingly through her hair again. Akari watched for a moment as she stressed out before gently placing a hand on her back. For a second Momoko stiffened and then relaxed as he rubbed it gently.  
"Hey, it's alright," he said quietly, not dating to move any closer in risk of ruining the moment. Momoko sighed loudly and rubbed her temples. "Can I help?" Ha asked.  
"Unless you've got the names of two more healing plants for science class, I don't think so," Momoko sighed. Akari looked at her for a moment before smiling. She frowned at his sudden smug look and edged herself away, insuring that his hand was removed from her back. Akari pulled away as soon as she shifted and then stood up.  
"Actually, I do happen to have such a thing," Akari said smugly. Momoko jumped up instantly, not even caring about his tone, and grabbed desperately to his shirt. Akari jumped at her sudden contact, but he couldn't pull away from her iron grip.  
"Please, you've gotta show it to me!" Momoko begged, her brown eyes large and pleasing. Akari had to admit that in this moment she looked exceptionally cute, her brown hair loose and frazzled and her Hazel eyes glistening, but she was also extremely vulnerable and, to be honest, that made Akari smirk. Momoko instantly noticed this smirk and pushed him away sharply, insuring there was a good foot of distance between them. Momoko coughed lightly and turned her face away, smoothing out her grey sweatshirt. "C-can you show it to me? It'd be really helpful."  
"Sure," Akari said with a shrug, making Momoko's face shoot towards him. "But, you've gotta do somethin for me."  
Momoko stared long and hard at him, trying to decipher what his meaning was. Akari smirked at the idea of all her perverted ideas of him running through her mind, but she finally thinned her lips with raised eyebrows.  
"What do you want me to do?" She asked skeptically, her tone mistrusting. Just because Akari had earned a small amount of friendship these last few months didn't mean she trusted him. She knew how fast he could switch from good cop to bad and a guy like that definitely had his secrets. Akari however smiled kindly at her, which only made Momoko more wary.  
"Let's say...a walk around the town tonight?" He asked, watching with pleasure as her narrowed eyes exploded open in shock. Momoko took an involuntary step back and instantly regretted it by the smirk that lit up his face. Momoko regained her posture and let the surprise sink in before speaking.  
"You want to walk around the town? Tonight?" She asked unbelievingly. Akari only smiled wider, unnerving Momoko by how truly happy it actually seemed to be.  
"That's what i said," he agreed, his tone incredibly light. Momoko frowned and leaned against the table, furrowing her eyebrows. She glanced down at the two empty slots on her paper. Going out with him wouldn't be that bad, right?  
"Alright, then," she agreed with a nod. She moved her eyes up to meet his. "It's a date."  
"Yes it is," he repeated a little blissfully. Momoko couldn't help but crack a small smile, feeling her own unknown source of happiness roll through her. She swallowed and then nodded to the door.  
"You gonna show me the notes or are you just going to stare at me?" She asked with a cheesy grin. Akari raised an eyebrow and then picked up her books and papers for her. He used one arm to balance them and motioned with the other to the library door.  
"This way, m'lady," he said with a bow, of as best a bow he could get without tumbling over. Momoko smiled at his charm and walked towards him, stopping and looming him eye to eye. His deep brown eyes stared at her, slowly melting her.  
"You may be a gentleman yet," she whispered and then moved towards the doors. Akari smiled and followed after her, unable to keep the bounce out of his step.


	14. Chapter 14

Kaoru rose up into the air, her legs kicking out just as they passed over Kyo's head and ticking back in as she came down. The swing gave a rusty creak under her weight but it held as she continued this process. Forwards and back, foreword and back...  
In front of her, sitting calmly on a rotting picnic table, Kyo nodded his head to the music drumming in his ears. He didn't know the name of the band, someone Akari listened to, but he didn't bother himself to check. Instead he continued to stare at Kaoru, smirking at the relevant joy on her face. It was these types of days that they liked each other the most. They both liked the quiet bliss of the old park so much that they didn't bother each other to fight or even talk. Kaoru would swing and Kyo would watch her while listening to his music. On some occasions Kyo would tease her by hanging by her chains and threatening to pull down the structure or he would invite her to listen to his music. Kaoru liked those days.  
Kaoru stopped punching her legs and watched as they sailed over the top of Kyo's head, little bits of his hair tickling her calf. He didn't flinch or try to sway her away, but rather seemed to relax. He trusted Kaoru, even if she tested it once and a while.  
"Can you hear me?" Kaoru tested, knowing very well that he could. Kaoru didn't understand how he could, he always had his music blasting, but like always he gave her a thumbs up. Kaoru nodded and let herself go up and down with the momentum of the swing. She sat quietly, her fingers gripping numbly to the freezing chains as she slowly slowed to a halt. The heels of her feet dug into the wood chips as she say still, gazing up at the yellows of the setting sun.  
"It's going to get cold soon," Kyo said as if reading her mind. Kaoru turned to find him up on his feet, his winter jacket wrapped securely around himself. Kaoru found herself nodding in agreement but she didn't move. Kyo raised an eyebrow at her but just settled back onto the table, wrapping his arms around himself. "Something wrong?"  
"I was just thinking," Kaoru admitted with a small shrug before hazing back towards the sky. Kyo followed her eyes and also stated up at the gold flirting over the darkening sky. It looked like a scene from a movie that Miyako would watch, but it didn't make Kaoru want to smile.  
"Must be done serious thinking," Kyo stated after a few minutes of chilly silence. Kaoru gently closed her eyes and released a small puff of air. Kyo noticed it and turned to look at her, his green eyes curious. "What's wrong?"  
"Just thinking about leaving this place," Kaoru said thoughtfully, keeping her eyes pressed closed. Kyo tilted his head and smiled, slightly bemused. "You know, ever since I got here I've been dreaming of leaving," she continued with a dreary sigh. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing the sadness that lingered in then. "Now I can't help but want to stay."  
"Everyone's gotta make a hard choice," Kyo said immediately, surprising Kaoru. "Me and my brothers did," he said in a low whisper. Kaoru shot towards him, her green eyes wide with curiosity.  
"What do you mean?" She asked, placing one knee in the swing and sitting back on it. Kyo let a light breeze pass between them before shrugging.  
"It's hard to choose wether you want to leave or stay. Sometimes we just gotta make the choice we know is best, even if it hurts," Kyo explained with a sigh. For a second everything was silent as Kaoru processed what he was saying.  
"Is that what happened? You ran away?" She asked in an unbelieving whisper. Kyo cringed at the word and gave a shrug.  
"Sure, you could say that," he said nonchalantly, leaning back and gazing at her. He watched as she crunched her nose and glared at him.  
"You left your home, your family! Don't you think they'd miss you?" She growled, unable to keep the jealous anger from her voice.  
"My brothers are my family," Kyo growled in return, sitting up. Kaoru's eyes lit up with anger, she quickly stood up.  
"They're you're family! Your mom and dad!" Kaoru screamed, her heart beating furiously. Kyo's own eyes lit up like sparklers.  
"What good is a family of they don't love you?" He shouted back, completely baffled as to why she was arguing with him. Kaoru felt a slight wave of shock run through her but she was too angry to heed its warning./  
"Well at least you had one!" She screamed loudly, her voice echoing through the trees. Kyo shut his mouth abruptly and watched in shock as Kaoru, for the first time since he'd met her, broke down into tears. They streamed like glinting waterfalls down her cheeks and dropped off her chin drop after drop. She quickly hurried her head in her hands and tried to get herself to stop, but the emotion pushed away common sense. Her knees began to feel weak and she felt herself fall forward, only to be caught by someone. Kaoru's head was instantly buried into Kyo's shirt and his strong scent of evergreens filled her nose. She cried harder then, another scent of evergreen filling her mind with a certain black haired boy.  
"Shh, it's okay," Kyo tried but she just sobbed again. He began to feel her shake and quickly slipped off his jacket. Without moving her from his chest, he wrapped it around her and pulled her even closer. He was half on the table and half off now, having been knocked down in his catch, and he shifted slightly. Kaoru sobbed harder, gripping to his shirt strongly. He flinched as her nails scrapped him but picked her up and say her on his lap. She didn't even have enough time to act surprised before another sob escaped and she dug her head into his chest. Kyo sat there on the table in nothing but a t shirt with s crying girl on his lap, and slowly began to whisper to her to get her to calm down.  
When it became apparent that the whispering was futile, Kyo got a strange feeling to pet her head. At first he restricted, but than an image of Buttercup came into his mind. Slowly he placed his hand on her head, then began to run it down to her neck before starting over. At first Kaoru just continued to sob, and Kyo was beginning to think that this was stupid when a hiccup filled the air. Kyo listened with relief as the sobbing was replaced with hiccups and whimpers to complete silence. Throughout it all he continued to pet her head soothingly, not daring to say a word.  
It was nearly dark now and Kaoru lifted her head from Kyo's shirt. It was soaking wet but the boy didn't seem to care, his eyes trained precisely on Kaoru. For a second they just stared at each other, then Kaoru turned away and hastily began to wipe away tears. Kyo sat still as she practically jumped off his lap, taking off his coat and handing it to him without word. Kyo took it and wrapped it over his damp shirt although he was in no way cold.  
"I'm sorry," Kaoru muttered sheepishly, moving a stray piece of blonde hair from her eyes. Her green eyes sparkled with tears in the nearing moonlight, slightly red from all the crying. She sniffed deeply while Kyo hopped off the table and approached her. She didn't have time to do anything before she was up in his arms, pressed tightly to his chest yet again. She allowed a gasp through and stared up at him speechless.  
"You're gonna catch a cold," was all he said before she felt him begin to walk. When Kaoru regained her voice she meekly fought him to escape, although in the end she only succeeded in being tired and dry. She let her head fall into Kyo's chest with a defeated sigh and thinned her lips. For the rest of the way she listened to the small thump of his heart lulling her to sleep. Just as her eyes fell shut however, she thought she heard the swish of flying, but she slipped away before she could do anything about it.


	15. Chapter 15

Lunch went as well as Ikuto could've hoped. They talked and ate for about an hour, only pausing when Miyako got a brief call from Momoko, although she wouldn't tell him what it was about. Girl stuff he assumed.  
"So what now?" Ikuto asked, arms laced behind the back of his head as they walked down the freshly populated streets.  
"What do you mean?" Miyako asked, carrying a large white styrofoam container that was filled with cookies she claimed her sisters killed for. She shifted it to one hand as she reached to zip up her coat and Ikuto took the opportunity to snatch it from her hands. She laughed as he pretended to steal a cookie, sticking his hand in greedily. She snatched it back instantly, cradling it away from the hungry boy.  
"Oh come on, just one cookie?" He begged, sticking out his lip and widening his eyes. Miyako laughed at this.  
"Someone aught to tell you that you have the worst puppy dog face ever," Miyako giggled, examining his face. He looked more surprisedly constipated than anything else. Miyako giggled, earning a frown from Ikuto. "Although that is cute," she said, motioning to his new expression.  
"Just face it Miya," He said, sticking his hands in his pocket and gazing down at her. He leaned forward slightly so they were about an inch apart, making Miyako stop. "Everything I do is cute," he said in a husky tone. Miyako didn't know how to respond to that, especially with a hot blush growing on her cheeks, so she quickly tugged her scarf up and bumped him away as playfully as she could.  
"Whatever you say," she responded shakily with a small nervous laugh. Ikuto raised an eyebrow at this but just shrugged and began to walk. Miyako caught up to him, taking advantage of the situation to gaze quietly at him. He had changed a lot in the past few months. No longer was he the mousy garden boy that she'd wandered across, but rather a proud tall young man on his way into life. Miyako also took notice of how his appearance had changed. He still wore jeans and t-shirts like his brothers but now his fanned out black hair fit his face shape, although she still didn't feel like that was the color for him, and his navy eyes only seemed to deepen, if that's possible. She recalled him as cute before, puppy dog cute, but now she couldn't deny that he was handsome. And don't get her started on his body. One of the times she'd almost fainted upon seeing him shirtless.  
"You okay, you look red," Ikuto commented, gazing concernedly at her face. In response she blushed redder, mentally slapping herself for dawning on such a subject. Instead she grabbed the incredibly thin texture of her blue scarf and shrugged it closer to her face. She shivered as a breeze passed by it onto her face and recalled Momoko warning her that it wouldn't be enough. Sometimes she hated her sister.  
Ikuto however completely misread the situation and took haste to taking off his own thick scarf and wrapping it around her. Miyako stifled a small gasp of surprise as his fingers brushed against her cheeks, wrapping the scarf around her face.  
"There you go," he said after a second, smiling cheekily down at her. Miyako blinked in surprise as the sweet smell of fresh air filled her senses. She discovered a little bit ago that, against her assumptions, the smell was just Ikuto's natural smell. She sniffed it in slightly and shivered as the blush got hotter. She turned her head away quickly and nodded slightly.  
"Thanks," she whispered, hugging the scarf between her hands. She saw Ikuto shrug from the corner of her eye, but she also noticed a faint redness on his cheeks.  
"Do you, um, want to take a walk through the park?" Ikuto asked politely, motioning towards the metal gates. Miyako followed his eyes and nodded quickly, giving him a small smile. He nodded back and headed towards the gates, Miyako by his side.  
The two walked through the park, finding it mostly empty during this time of day. Miyako stopped to gaze at a few stray flowers, drawing Ikuto towards her.  
"How do you think they survived it?" She asked, staring at the flowers mystified. They were spring flowers, some type of daisy she thought.  
"Hmm? I guess they wanted to stay around for a while," he said, also gazing at them as if they were some type of mystery. The flowers just shone brightly in colors of whites and pinks as if oblivious to the oncoming winter around them.  
"Must have some will, those flowers," Miyako whispered, smiling slightly. Ikuto glanced down at her and took her hand. Miyako gazed up at him and he smiled.  
"Come on, I want to show you something," he said before tugging her along with him. He took Miyako down a long path before pulling her into a wall of hedges with a small, barely visible, opening. Miyako gasped as they stepped inside.  
In the center of the small space was a glistening silver fountain that spit out cascading drops of pure blue water. Around the fountain were the red christmas flowers, she couldn't remember their names, all stuck in the bushes like lights. And tucked in the corner, just smaller than the hedges, a tree with white leaves stood tall and proud, a few stray leaves that were blown off laying strewn across the floor.  
"It's prettier in summer I'm afraid, but with you leaving this summer I thought this was as good a time as any," Ikuto admired as she turned in a slow circle, examine it all.  
"It's amazing," she gasped, slightly miffed as to why she'd never noticed it before. she turned to him. "How did you find it?"  
"Well, you could say I stumbled into it. Literally," he said with a light laugh and rubbed his neck in embarrassment. Miyako smiled and turned back to the tree.  
"A cherry blossom tree," she said in a whisper, recognizing the white leaves. She used to have one in front of her house, and it would cast out the prettiest smelling blossoms. Momoko had actually spent so much time around the tree that she adapted the smell, and Miyako could still catch a whiff of it on her sisters clothes.  
"Yeah, I was surprised too," Ikuto admired with a kind smile, gazing at the tree as if it were an old friend. "We had a whole park of them up in Japan."  
"Sounds gorgeous," Miyako bored with a sigh. Ikuto nodded slightly, then shook himself out of his daydream. He pulled Miyako over to the fountain and sat down on the edge with her. Miyako gazed at the blue water, letting a little bit drop off her fingers like a waterfall.  
"I really wanted to show this to you, before you left," he said quietly, gazing at his reflection in the water. Miyako looked up at him nervously. The topic of leaving was always one that pressed hard in them. The girls eighteenth birthday was May 16 and on June 21 they would be off on their own. The boys' birthdays aren't until October 7 and they'll have to wait until next summer to leave. Miyako didn't want to go without Ikuto, and neither did her sisters, wether they admitted it or not.  
"You know, we were planning on renting an apartment and helping out at the orphanage," she said, looking down at her own reflection. she ran her fingers quickly through it, dissociating it. "At least until you guys leave."  
"Really?" He asked, but he didn't sound excited. Miyako waited for the water to settle before looking over at him.  
"What do you mean?" She asked curiously. He sighed to his reflection and brought his face to meet hers. His navy eyes seemed a little heavy.  
"I don't want you to waste a year of your life there. Besides, you'll need real paying jobs," he said.  
"We'll be fine," Miyako insisted, not needing to mention the fact that thanks to the people they protected they have enough money for a full life and then some./  
"I don't want you to wait for us, Miya. We'll be fine. Go off and start your life," Ikuto insisted, his eyes slightly pleading. Miyako instantly recognized the feeling, the sense that you were pulling someone down because they were trying to save you. She instinctively touched her cheek where Boomer had gave her insurance of his love for her. She knew what she had to do.  
"Ikuto," she said softly, grabbing his hand. He pulled his eyes up to hers quickly and she smiled sadly. "I'm never going to leave you," she promised, leaning forward and gently kissing his cheek. The spark was instant. It wasn't like the teasing things they usually did or the friendly kisses theyd shared before. This went deeper, as deep as Boomer had gone for Miyako. Miyako pulled away and watched as Ikuto gaped incertainly at her, a blush spreading bright red across his cheeks. Miyako felt a similar one gracing her face but she didn't care. "I'm here for you. Forever." she repeated, sighing inwardly as a different voice repeated the same words to her.  
"Miyako," he said, her eyes surprised. He obviously had no idea what to say so Miyako leaned forward and placed her lips quickly on his. She didn't know exactly what made her do it, but the pull towards him was too strong for her to fight, and when his lips found hers, the spark she felt before bursting into fireworks. For a second Ikuto stood stiff, but he quickly melted Ito the kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Miyako wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close as she could.  
Miyako pulled away for breath, watching as it came out in plumes like Momoko's. Ikuto mimicked her, the shock still present in his face. For a second a cold fear of rejection descended on Miyako, but Ikuto grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly as if it wAs a life force.  
"Miyako," he said quietly, his voice still quiet. Miyako shifted nervously, gazing up at the sky. he followed her eyes and then extracted himself from her  
"We should head back," he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. Miyako nodded soundlessly and got up, fixing her wrinkled coat. Ikuto watched her for a minute before coming forward and straightening it out for her. She gazed up at him and he smiled kindly down at her. "Come on," he said kindly, extending a hand towards her. Miyako gripped it tightly and they made their way back through the park.  
They stopped in front of the door to Miyako's room. Miyako turned to look at Ikuto, smiling nervously.  
"I had fun. Thank you for showing me that place," she whispered, blushing slightly.  
"Maybe we can go back some time," he said smiling and, nodding. Miyako noticed that his eyes looked more distanced than usual.  
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," Miyako said awkwardly. She turned towards the door then stopped. "Oh, I nearly forgot!" She began to remove his scarf from around her neck but a hand on her shoulder to stop her.  
"Keep it," he said with a small smile. Miyako stared at him and then nodded.  
"Goodnight Iku ," she said. Ikuto filled then smiled back.  
"Goodnight Miyako," he said. Miyako then turned and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She found Kaoru already asleep and Momoko watching tv in shorts and a red shirt obviously too big for her. Miyako noticed this but didn't ask about it. Momoko muted the TV as Miyako came in, and examined her warily.  
"I told you, you'd need a thicker scarf," was all she said before turning back on the volume. Miyako smiled slightly and headed towards her bed. She slipped off her coat and pants. She went to her chest, shuffling through it until she found a faded navy t shirt. She gazed over at Momoko, watching as she gently stroked the shirt. Miyako smiled and pulled it on, putting on a pair of sweatpants and cuddling up in her blankets. She fell asleep to the sound of TV, the feel of Ikuto's lips, and the scent of a fresh summers day.


	16. Chapter 16

Momoko walked into her room and stood still for a second. In her hands were the last names of the plants in hat she had just received from Akari, and in the other hand was a rose that he had pointedly given her as a "proper" way to ask her out. She let both fall out of her hands into the floor and flopped lifelessly onto the bed with a groan. It was Kaoru's bed, the various crumbs of food and scent of grass insured that, but she was too frustrated to care. All she could think of was the fact that she had a date with Akari.  
Maybe it's a good thing, she thought, but quickly shook it away with another loud groan. She buried her head in Kaoru's pillow, trying to dull her mind with her sisters wretched scent. Unfortunately, she only managed to make herself gag and throw the pillow away. She flipped onto her back and closed her eyes tightly, pressing her palms against her head. A date with Akari...how on earth did she manage that?  
She sat up with a sigh and looked down at the notes and rose. The Rose had fallen on top of the notes, and although slightly wilted, its petals bloomed magnificently against the stark white of the notes. She sighed and bent down, picking up the Rose and notes. She examined the Rose questioningly and then looked at the notes. There were only three words on it, a name of each missing plant written in Akari's sloppy curved writing. Momoko frowned and examined the lettering closer. She could swear that she'd see something like it before.  
"What's that?" Momoko jumped and let out a small yelp, pressing the letter instinctively to her chest. Miyako straightened and gazed down at her sister curiously.  
"Miya? When did you get here?" Momoko gasped, trying to calm her racing heart.  
"A few minutes ago. What is that?" Miyako reached for the letter but Momoko pulled away.  
"It's just some answers for homework," Momoko dismissed, folding up the letter and picking it up. She went over to her dresser, pulling open the drawer and placing it carefully inside. She wanted to know why it looked so familiar.  
"Oh! What's this?" Miyako gasped and Momoko spun around, finding her sister examining the Rose with wide eyes. She sniffed it and gazed apprehensively at Momoko. "Homework answers Eh?"  
"Oh cut it out," Momoko said and took the Rose from her sister's grip. She gasped as her finger touched a thorn and put it carefully to her tongue.  
"Who's it from?" Miyako continued to pester, raising her eyebrows as she sat down on Momoko's bed. Momoko say besides her, carefully placing the Rose on the nightstand.  
"Just a gift from a friend," Momoko dismissed, her cheeks getting slightly warm. Miyako hums slightly to herself with a sly smile working her lips.  
"A friend? So you mean Akari gave it to you," she queered with a giggle. Momoko rolled her eyes and turns away quickly.  
"He gave me the notes for a walk around the town," Momoko explains, squaring her shoulders as Miyako gasps excitedly.  
"Aww! Aki-Kun wants to go on a date with you!" Miyako gushes, making Momoko's cheeks go bright red. She quickly gets up, shaking her head.  
"It's not a date, just a walk," Momoko clarifies sternly, but Miyako is too busy imagining her sister's fantasy to pay attention.  
"You've got to get ready," she suddenly shouts, jumping up excitedly. "Oh I've always imagined this moment!"  
"What? Are you kidding, of course you do!" She cheers, grabbing Momoko's arm and dragging her onto her bed. Momoko plops down and Miyako busies herself with searching through her trunk.  
"Hey, what's wrong with my clothes?" Momoko cried, examining her jeans and pink sweater.

"That is a joke, right?" Miyako pauses, peeking above the lid of the chest to raise an eyebrow at her sister. Momoko sighs in defeat and slumps back as Miyako searches through the chest.  
"Oh! Here we go," Miyako exclaims, pulling out a red skirt and black button up top with the sleeves cut off. Momoko regards the skirt with a fearful look.  
"You do realize that it's twenty degrees out there, right?" Momoko clarifies.  
"32, but that's not important," Miyako dismisses, pulling up a pair of black tights. Momoko stares at the clothes strangely. "Just try it on, would you?"  
Momoko groans but gets up and takes the clothes. She steps into the bathroom and slips into the outfit, stepping out for Miyako to view.  
"Oh, Momo," Miyako gushes, making Momoko spin to get the full affect. She sighs and claps her hands together successfully. Momoko turns away and heads over to her sister's body length mirror hanging on the wall. She looks at her reflection, lifting her arms and letting them fall like a bird. She picked slightly at the tights although they weren't bad.  
"I still don't see why I have to dress up," Momoko says, but the awe in her voice is audible.  
"Because it makes you feel good," Miyako explains, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the head mirror. "And when Akari sees you it'll make you feel even better."  
"Whatever," Momoko sighs, but a slight blush picks at her cheeks. She sits still as Miyako loosens her hair and combs it, making small braids in it. She stops suddenly and backs up, examining her work.  
"I think I'm going to have to give warning to that boy," she says with a laugh. Momoko snorts but also lets a smile grave her lips. Miyako sighs then and glances at the clock. "I'm sorry Momo, but I need to go meet Iku. We're going shopping," Miyako giggles.  
"No problem. Thank you for helping," Momoko says, getting up and wrapping her arms tightly around her sister. Miyako giggles and gives her a gentle squeeze back, careful not to rumple the outfit.  
"I'll see you later. Go get em Momoko," Miyako teases, slipping on her jacket and walking out the door with a wink.  
"Don't forget a scarf!" Momoko calls and waves goodbye as Miyako snatches one off the dresser and the door closes. Momoko turns examines her face on the mirror. Miyako had left her face untouched, as she requested, and she had left her hair down and flowering to her waist. She smiled at her reflection, but let it fall short. She wished so deeply that it was pink eyes and orange hair staring back at her instead of brown. She let a sigh fall from her mouth and her mind began to dwindle on the thought of the date.  
Part of her wanted to believe that this would be good for her, that she needed to let go of the past, but another just felt as if it were wrong. There was only one true love, and hers had died. Does that mean that she was setting herself up for failure or could there possibly be a second chance? Was Brick offering her the second chance?/  
A knock sounded in the room and Momoko jumps. She glances one last time in the mirror and gets up, opening the door. Akari stands on the other side still in jeans although now he wears a nice red button up shirt under a coat. He opens his mouth as he gazes at her, making another blush light up her cheeks. She really needs to stop doing that.  
"Hi," she says awkwardly, moving away to grab her coat. She slips it on and joins him in the hall, shifting her shoulders slightly.  
"Uh, you look good," He says awkwardly, rubbing his head and smiling sheepishly. Momoko smiles lightly and nudges him playfully.  
"Didn't know you cleaned up so nicely," she joked.  
"I'm full of surprises," He returned with a wink. Momoko giggles and gazes down the hall. "Shall we go?" He offers, holding out his elbow. Momoko laughs but grabs his arm none the less. They go down the hall and out of the building, walking out into the chilly winter air.  
Momoko was surprised by how much she enjoyed her time with Akari. First he took her to a little restaurant in the nook of town even she didn't know about called The Kitchen Corner. After that they walked around, laughing at older people bustling against the cold winds, while strangely being unaffected by it themselves. Momoko became slightly wary of her new immunity to the cold, but just disregarded it as a new power. What she didn't know is that Akari was incredibly warm, and as you know, the snow doesn't like warmth. Soon enough though, the two found themselves back at her door, still giggling from the sight of a busty old lady falling on her arse.  
"You know, maybe you aren't so bad," Momoko teases, bumping his shoulder kindly. He smiles lightly and returns it, almost knocking her over. He quickly grabs her as she bursts out giggling and falls into his chest, engulfed in warmth. She felt the vibrations of his deep laugh through his jacket, and the brief beating of his heart.  
"I'm glad I could impress," he says, straightening her back. She feels reluctant to leave his surprisingly cozy embrace, but not wanting to seem too attached, she pulled away and folded her arms, giving him a warm smile. For a minute it is silent as they gaze at each other, brown eyes meeting brown. Momoko suddenly began to feel as if he is looking beyond the normal, dull brown to the pink below, but then he turns away with a laugh and the feeling disappears. "It's funny, you know? When I first met you, all I could do was despise you. But now..." he flicked his eyes back towards her, smiling. "I wonder why I never met you sooner."  
"I guess everything happens for a reason," she insist with a nod, getting a feeling of discomfort stifling through her stomach.  
"Yeah, but we're both from Townsville, that has to mean something? Maybe we were supposed to and then..." his smile suddenly melts off his face and the joy dies in his eyes. Momoko's discomfort tightens her chest as she realizes what he had been going to say.  
"...There was someone in the way?" She finishes emotionlessly, feeling as if he had stabbed her. He nods his head, stuffing his hands in his jacket and taking a step back, as if it were dangerous to be too close to her.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said..." he inhales deeply, as if trying to prevent himself from crying. Momoko takes a step back, her shoulders hitting the door. She jumps and grabs the handle quickly. "Look, just, thanks for tonight. It really felt as if I were back there, back then..." he bows his head uncertainly. Momoko begins to feel a small bit of fury beat into her heart, although she doesn't know towards what.  
"Just go," she says sternly, making his head jump up. She hardens her eyes as his gaze sadly at hers. "Please go."  
"Momo, I'm truly-" he starts, but Momoko roughly cuts him off.  
"My name is not Momo and I'm asking you to leave. Please don't make me go get one of the sisters," she snaps. He closes his mouth, his apology dissipating into grim anger.  
"You're not the only one who lost someone, you know. You're not the only one who knows what this pain is, so stop playing the victim Momoko, because you're not," he spoke coldly, with such spiteful pain and truth in his eyes that Momoko felt the need to break down and cry right there, but she straightened herself and glares at him.  
"Go away," she says, staring defying my at him. They battle between their eyes, the joy and laughter suddenly broken with spite and mistrust.  
"Consider my help unreachable, you can have fun figuring out the next set of healing plants by yourself," he sneers before turning and stomping off down the hall towards his room. The comeback was lame, but it was the final push to bring tears sparking into her eyes. She covered her mouth after he disappeared and slowly crawled into her bed. For a long while she sat there, silently sobbing. Finally she crawled down to her trunk and popped it open. She tossed out clothes as she searched, rubbing silver tears from her cheeks until she found what she wanted. Slowly, carefully, she slid the hat out between some shirts, sitting down and staring at it. With shaky hands she brought it to her nose and sniffed. The real tears started there, because when she sniffed the hat, she could no longer smell cinnamon. The flavor was fading, just as the boy who wore it was fading from her life. And Momoko cried.


	17. Chapter 17

Kaoru wakes up slowly, her eyes barely fluttering open. She blinks rapidly, trying to adjust to the dark lighting of their room as she tries to sit up. Instantly she flips back down, her limbs feeling like dead weights attached to her body. A quiet groan escapes her lips, but she shuts them as she hears Miyako shift on the bed beside her. Finally Kaoru slides out of the blankets and stands up, surprised to not be cold. Them she realizes that she is bundled in a thick jacket. She feels the sleeve, instant recognizing the soft, worn Cotten and smell of evergreens. Images from last night came back to her, the tears dripping off her face and the horrible sound that came out of her mouth. Embarrassment and guilt instantly wraps around Kaoru, and she begins to make her way towards the door. As she passes the dresser however, she reaches into the pocket of her jacket and grabs her phone, thankful that it was still there.  
The door creaks as Kaoru opens it, cringing. She slips through the small crack, gently closing it with a soft pop. The halls are dark, giving her the impression that it must be really early. She clicks on her phone, sighing in defeat when it shows 3:26 am in big bold letters. She quickly turns on the flashlight and starts down the hall, towards the kitchen. At least it was Saturday and there would be no lessons for the day. She had that to be thankful for.  
Kaoru makes her way to the kitchen, led by the bright beam of her phone and the soft him of the ventilation. She pauses, however, as she sees the light from behind the large double doors. Part of her sought out to return to her bed and seek out a few more hours of peace, but the curiosity is too great and she finds herself pushing the door open.  
She blinks rapidly, adjusting to the fluorescent lighting off the cafeteria, and rubs her eyes. Slowly they adjust, and she looks around for any people. It's vacant, and she is about to turn away and head back to bed when a sudden clatter rings from the kitchen. A serious sense of déjà vu washed over her and she gripped her phone as she walked slowly towards the door leading into the kitchen. She takes in a deep breath before pushing it open silently, stepping in.  
"Woah!" Kyo jumps, nearly dropping the egg in his hand. Kaoru also jumps back in surprise, knocking over a pot. It clanked loudly against the tiles, making them both cringe. After it settles, Kaoru bends down and replaces it back on the shelf, farther away from the edge.  
"What are you doing in here?" She hisses finally, glaring at Kyo. He places the egg securely in a bowl and dusts his flour covered hands on an apron. Kaoru eyes it curiously, resisting the urge to laugh.  
"I could ask you the same thing," he says, looking up. "What's so funny?"  
"Um, nothing. I just couldn't sleep," Kaoru explains, shoving her hands into the jacket pocket. Kyo gazes at her, smirking slightly upon seeing her in his jacket. She instantly blushes and moves to take it off. "Uh, you left this," she pulls off the jacket, resisting a shiver of cold, and holds it out to him. The bemused expression in his eyes makes her want to yell at him, but she resists as he pushes it back towards her.  
"You keep it, you look like you might freeze anyway," he states, gazing at her revealed legs. Kaoru blushes and slips the coat back on, folding her arms over her chest. The sleeves are too long, completely obscuring her hands, but it feels warm and comforting./  
"Thanks," she replies quietly with a nod. Kyo just smiles and looks at the mixing bowl sitting on the counter.  
"I think we need to stop having meetings in here," he says with a smile. Kaoru puffs slightly, following his eyes.  
"What're you doing here anyway, you can't seriously be eating breakfast at this hour," she says unbelievingly.  
"When a guys hungry, he's hungry," He teases with a small smile. "Nah, I couldn't fall asleep so I decided I could make a little pre-breakfast to help out the sisters. Don't tell the kids," he winks, earning a small chuckle from her. "What about you, couldn't sleep?"  
"I don't know, I just felt like I needed to walk around a little," she shrugs, making him smirk.  
"At three in the morning? A little odd time for a walk, don't you think?" He asks.  
"A little odd time for making pancakes, eh?" She returns with a smile.  
"Hey, pancake time is all the time," he fights, pointing his finger at her. A giggle escapes her mouth as he smiles. "Speaking of which, why don't we enjoy some? I'm sure nobody will miss one or two," he grabs a few from the skillet, doing a sort of dance as he drops them on the plate. "Wow, those are hot!"  
Kaoru laughs and helps him grab a few more, grabbing a few glasses and filling them up with orange juice. Together they set up a table in the lunchroom, finally settling down to enjoy an early breakfast.  
"You know, I meant to thank you, for last night," Kaoru spoke awkwardly, keeping her eyes trained on the pancakes. She hears Kyo's fork stop moving and takes a nervous breath. "I shouldn't criticize you for your decisions. I know you did what was best for your brothers."  
"And I know you'll do what's best for your sisters. Ikuto tells me you're planning on working here until we get out," he states, making Kaoru cringe. She didn't have intentions of informing him until late spring, and she is slightly hurt that Miyako spilled it so early. "I don't want you to, Kaoru. I want you to leave Briston, to go to New York like you always wanted to. I want you to follow your dreams."  
"I can't, Kyo," She says quietly, loosing her appetite.  
"Don't tell me that Kaoru, I told you, it's time to make the hard choices. Follow your dream," he insists, determinedly. Kaoru looks up, looking him straight in the eyes.  
"I can't follow my dream without you Kyo, not when you're a part of it," silence fills the room as they stare at each other. Kaoru can't tell the numerous emotions swimming in Kyo's green eyes, but she feels relief when he smiles.  
"You're one crazy chick, you know that?" He whispers, compassion filling up his voice. Kaoru thought back on the previous night, the feeling of being so close to him, and grabs his hand, squeezing it tightly.  
"I guess that makes you even crazier for liking me," she asks, glancing up at him with a small smile. A cheesy grin broke out on Kyo's face, a grin that she was all too familiar with and it made her heart swell.  
"I guess so."


	18. Chapter 18

Ikuto awoke around noon, groggily falling out of bed and dragging himself into the shower. When he came out, he discovers both his brothers gone, which is very unusual since they sleep at least til three on the weekends. He shrugs regardless and gets dressed in a grey shirt and blue jeans. He walks to the mirror, checking that his hair is still as black as ever and, once satisfied, walks out of the room and towards the greenhouse.  
He didn't need to call out to know that Miyako is already somewhere among the rows of greens, seeing that the soil beneath the hose is wet and one of the watering cans is missing. He picks up the other, filling it to the brim, and following the path of watered flowers towards Miyako. He finds her patting in the soil of a small ficus, humming a tune softly to herself. He is about to call out to her, but stops upon hearing the song. His heart nearly drops as the words form on her lips, singing the sweet song that Bubbles sang so long ago.  
"A Thousand Years"Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises  
How to be brave?  
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?  
But watching you stand alone  
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow  
One step closer  
I have died every day waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more  
Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is  
I will be brave  
I will not let anything take away  
What's standing in front of me  
Every breath/  
Every hour has come to this  
One step closer...  
Ikuto feels the watering can slip from his grasp, but he is too slow to grab it before it clanks loudly to the floor. Miyako jumps and whips towards him, smiling upon seeing him. He was doing the complete opposite.  
"Oh, Iku, you scared me," she gasps, covering her chest with a hand and smiling breathlessly. He just continues to gape at her, unable to process any words. "Is something wrong?" She asks, taking a step towards him. Ikuto takes two back, making Miyako stop. "Iku?"  
"You're really her, aren't you?" He asks breathlessly, gulping down his nerves. Miyako frowns in confusion.  
"What do you mean?" She asks, a slight tremble of worry in her voice.  
"Bubbles..." he breathes out. Miyako instantly cringes and shakes her head, backing away.  
"Why would you say that, my name is Miyako!" She fights, but the worry in her eyes is clear to see. Suddenly Ikuto looks back on before, when she told him that she loved him, when she talked to him on the beach and kissed him. He took another step back. How had he missed it before?  
"You're Bubbles, from the powerPuff girls," Ikuto says, suddenly more excited. He turns towards her, a smile on his face. "Bubbles!"  
Miyako is thrown off her feet as he embraces her in a tight hug, scooping her into his arms. She remains stiff, uncertain of what's going on. It's not until he puts her down that she pushes him away.  
"How do you know that. Who are you? Are you here to take me away," fear lights up her eyes and she takes another step back, but Ikuto grabs her hand, holding it tightly within his own.  
"Bubbles, it's me. It's Boomer," he whispers, freezing her in her tracks. She stares up at him, a mixture of uncertainty and jubilation swimming through her. But the uncertainty and fear take over and she pulls away.  
"That's not funny Ikuto," she whispers sullenly, holding her hands to her chest so he can't grab them.  
"Bubbles, it's really me! We left years ago and have been searching for you guys," Ikuto insists, grabbing her shoulders. She tries to shake free, but his grip is tight  
"Stop it! Stop pretending to be him! My Boomer is dead!" She yells, finally throwing off his arms and running away. She doesn't care if he sees her using her powers, and she zips in a streak of blue out of the green house and towards the forest behind the church. The cold air nips viciously at her bare arms, but she continues on, deeper and deeper until she trips on something and tumbles to her back. She gasps, even though it doesn't hurt at all, and feels tears begin to dwell in her eyes. She slowly sits up, rubbing dirt off her clothes, and tucks her knees to her chest. She can see her breath in front of her, coming out in bright plumes, but she just rubs her arms. Her tears freeze on her cheeks, and to her eyelashes, but more come to warm them up.  
Ikuto follows behind, keeping a safe distance between them. He stops as she falls, resisting the urge to pick her up and hold her forever, and watches as she curls into herself, her quiet sobs filling the area. He waits a minute before pulling off his jacket and stepping towards her. He kneels down besides her and pulls it over her shoulders, making her stiffen and then relax. She sniffles and rubs her eyes, pulling away and looking up at him. Their amazing blue, one he has looked into so many times before, is still so stunning to him that he feels like his breath is taken away.  
"He died years ago, you know that? We were banished away from our home and never able to go back again. I don't even know where he's buried," Miyako sniffs again, rubbing under her nose.  
"I'm not buried anywhere. Professor found a way to revive us, in hopes that Him would lift his banishment and allow you to return home, but Him refused. So when it came down to it, we got all the information we could and went out searching for you girls. There were a lot of duds Him had set out for us, and it was only by chance that we heard about this orphanage. And then we found you..."  
"I want to believe that it's really you. I really, really do, but I can't. If this is a joke Ikuto, I'll never forgive you for it," she sniffs, a determined look in her eye. Ikuto smiles and rubs her head gently while thinking.  
"I remember the first date we ever had. I cleared the beach out for both of us and set up a picnic," he pauses, looking back. "You wore a bikini for the first time that day."  
"Boomer?" Miyako gasps before wrapping her arms tightly around him and sobbing. "It's really you..."  
"Bubbles," he murmurs quietly against her hair, hugging her closely. "I'm never going to let you go. I'll protect you, I can't loose you again," he whispers, earning another sob.  
"I missed you, Boomer," she gasps. He raises her head, dragging away stray pieces of long black hair.  
"I missed you too," he says, cupping her face. She smiles, watery, but with joy and for the first time in a while, Boomer feels genuinely happy. He has his Bubbles back, after five years she is finally back in his arms. And he never wants to let her go.


End file.
